Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character, story element or plot item originally published in the Harry Potter books or movies that I may refer to in this story. I'm merely playing in the sandbox.

Chapter 10

Harry waited at the bottom of the stairs, near the door to the Great Hall. He did not have his cloak, but the stone disk in his pocket was charged and ready. Knowing that Luna would find him made things perfect. Plus, it was funny to watch the others mill about, waiting on dates. Sirius is rubbing off on me. Moony, too. For a long moment, he considered this idea before deciding it was just what he needed.

"I can't believe he's not here. We contacted Lupin."

McGonagall had repeated the refrain a few times in the past ten minutes, but he merely made a mental tic on his invisible chalkboard, counting the times it was said. The Champions waited for their dates, so it wasn't like everyone was waiting for him.

Soon, a Seventh year Ravenclaw that Harry couldn't recall a name for walked down the stairs and smiled at Delacour. "That's one." He whispered despite the fact that the sound wouldn't pass the invisible boundary. He really wished he had his cloak. Or better yet, was on the warm sands that Sirius keeps talking about. If he calls it a magical place one more time, I'm going to neuter him in whatever form he's in.

Next Cho Chang joined Diggory. "Hmm, two…and soon to be three Ravenclaws at the Tournament Table. Interesting. One wonders at the other Houses lack of representation, Diggory notwithstanding."

The next entrant for the Champion's group surprised Harry. "Granger cleans up well. Guess the only one not here is a Slytherin, other than sort of me, I guess." Walking down in a light purple gown, Granger looked surprisingly well put together. She joined Krum and Harry raised an eyebrow. "Can't imagine the odds on that one. Weasley's going to explode." As he said it, he wasn't sure if Ron wanted to date Granger or Krum.

"Where's Potter?"

Harry decided that Delacour's question was polite, much nicer than her "little boy" comment from their first meeting. "All it took was convincing a dragon to do my dirty work to…" The statement went unfinished as Luna came into view. She looked angelic in the silver gown and Harry smiled, stepping forward and canceling his concealment.

Luna grinned as she watched, then lightly stepped down the stairs to take his arm. "Mr. Potter."

"Ms. Lovegood. You are quite lovely tonight."

"Harry?" Only one spoke, but all spun to see him essentially behind them as they had been watching the stairs for their dates. He had carefully stepped past them as he met his companion for the evening. He imagined the effect of his charm dropping being similar to apparition. Granger will lose her mind waiting to quote that book at me about the history of this school.

"Granger, how are you this evening? Well, I hope." He asked the question in as neutral a tone as his Occlumency could generate, ensuring that it was clear that no answer would interest him.

Harry turned in time to see a strange look cross her eyes. Deciding he wasn't interested, he simply turned to McGonagall. "I was on time. Early, in fact. Promptness is important in a social event, after all. It would not do to leave someone in a difficult situation."

"Uh…yes." She did not meet his gaze, not that he was interested in that as anything more than an oddity. "The others were briefed about…"

"I was informed on my duties. Thank you." His tone was intentionally even, emotionless. He had worked with Sirius on the pureblood tone. McGonagall reacted as though struck, simply turning to the doors, and opening them.

The Champions led the procession, Harry and Luna following a few steps behind, both taking Sirius's advice to be out of the official procession and simply walking in rather than the parade pose the others seemed to be taking. Harry gestured to the table, and they followed the group, sitting in seats that had "Potter" and "Potter Guest" in front of them. Harry casually banished the two placards as the others bowed in the direction of the judges, then seated in unison, taking assigned seats at the large round table that had replaced the head table.

Harry's head pivoted, taking the room in first for threats, then for the décor. "Flitwick outdid himself." In a brief casual moment, he punctuated the statement in a quiet whistle, but then returned to the pureblood mask he had been working to maintain.

"He was excited. He loves doing the Christmas decorations." Luna adjusted her seat, but Harry rose to help her. She nodded, then began to play with her napkin.

"I know. We used to joke in my old House that he was part elf, not part dwarf."

Luna found that funny and laughed musically. Harry was distracted when Granger spoke. "Old House? What do you mean?"

"I have formally resigned my position in Gryffindor. I was informed by the Head that I was a disgrace to my family and that several members of the House wanted me removed. I believe your friend Weasley began the petition…Ronald Weasley, I forgot there were several in your House. No need for confusion." He shrugged. "That was sufficient for me to no longer want the association, so I made the decision to save them the trouble of a formal censure. We do have guests, after all."

Granger's eyes widened, but she said nothing as the judges and Percy Weasley joined them. Harry smiled and nodded to Penny, glad to see her again. "Lovely to see you again, Ms. Clearwater."

She smiled back. "Mr. Potter. I see your reputation for mayhem making has remained intact."

"If you only knew," Luna said, grinning and placing her hands on the table, smoothing the napkin before placing it in her lap.

"How do you know Harry?" Granger asked.

"We ran into each other in the hallway. He's helping me with some of my schoolwork now. His tutors are excellent. Professor Lupin…excuse me, Moony is very knowledgeable about several subjects." Luna made a face. "I meant to ask you, why Moony instead of Remus or Mr. Lupin?"

"He asked me to. Same as my other tutor's title. It was by request." Harry looked at Luna and nodded to her first statement. "He's probably the best teacher I've had at Hogwarts, I'd say, other than that one night."

"I was named for that problem, so I don't like to pick at him about it."

"Fair, Luna. Very fair of you." Luna had encouraged the pureblood behavior in the lessons, and he had promised to use as much of it as possible. It will distract them from many of the things you are plotting down here, so it will be the best thing possible. They will be too busy figuring out your change in behavior to ask about the how and why of what you are doing. For a brief moment, he wondered again at the limits of her powers as he heard her voice in his memories again.

The dance lessons weren't the only ones in the last few weeks. Harry and Luna had been able to practice some of the anticipated questions, but also the pureblood responses that would be expected by the society. Harry found the act fun while Luna had just rolled with things. Harry was deciding that the term "eerie calm" fit her better than any other phrase he could come up with. Considering his prior two companions at this school, he enjoyed the calm.

Granger had tried to make conversation a few times, but Harry rebuffed her politely, giving the most basic responses. Most of her questions were trying to figure out how he was hiding, but he had no desire to help her with her curiosity. He ordered dinner, following Dumbledore's example. Soon, the judges were asking questions about how he had vanished after the Tournament. "Didn't you want your score?"

"I figured I would find out later. I read the paper." Harry said calmly, facing the French Headmistress. "I wanted that to be an event for the actual Champions. Since I'm just in this to suit some crazy scheme by someone, I plan to just meet the requirements and get out of their way."

Delacour and Krum looked at each other, seeming surprised. Diggory just grinned. "I was wrong about you, Potter."

"No problem, Diggory. I'm glad that you recognize it. I'm just hoping to move on from this at the end of the year."

Luna patted his arm and smiled. He'd told her about his idea to transfer and she was thinking of the same thing. They had discussed France or even the American school. Luna insisted that her father travelled and could publish from anywhere. They already were distributed in twenty different countries.

"Things do change year to year here. You are usually at the center of that change," Dumbledore spoke calmly, taking a sip of the wine goblet in front of him.

"True. I never wanted that, though. I just wanted to be me."

The conversation moved on as Percy talked about some of the duties he'd taken on, but Harry ignored it. He hadn't liked Crouch and now, hearing the redhead praise the man, he was adding another Weasley to the list of people he could never see again and live happily.

Soon, the meal was done, and Harry rose at the signal from Dumbledore, a nod to him to help him know when it was time. "Would you care to dance, Ms. Lovegood?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. I came to dance." She smiled, heading to the floor with the other competitors. They took their positions and the pairs spun around the floor. Harry didn't know the song, but the rhythm matched a few that Sirius had helped teach them to. "Your gown is beautiful on you…I don't get the necklace, though."

"My mother made it. I never take it off."

"Oh. I just thought it was a magical thing I wasn't aware of."

She smiled. "That makes you unique and special in this school, Harry."

Several songs later, they took a break, having some punch from the refreshment table. No one else approached Harry and he was fine with that. "What do you say a few more dances, then I escort you back to your tower?"

"I was thinking a few dances and maybe a walk outside. The Rose Garden should be beautiful with the snow."

"That sounds nice." Harry started to ask where she'd heard about this when Delacour walked up.

"May I borrow your partner?"

Luna shrugged. "I'm only borrowing him. He can choose."

The French witch laughed slightly, and Harry just nodded. "I would be honored."

As they moved onto the floor, Harry spoke. "I didn't expect to dance with anyone else tonight, Ms. Delacour."

"Please, call me Fleur. I wanted to apologize to you. I insulted you when we met on Halloween. I now understand that you really didn't want to be in this. You are doing very well, though."

"Thank you. I have an excellent pair of teachers."

"You don't say much about them."

"Nope." He smiled as he said this.

"Have you figured out your egg?"

"I have." He shook his head. "I don't fully understand it."

"The sound is…" she paused, seeming lost for the word.

"Mermish. I had a bit of assistance from another young blonde woman in figuring that out. She's very good with the study of Magical Creatures."

Fleur scowled at the word. "Not all are creatures."

"I was naming the topic. The course title at this school is abbreviated from its full name to just Magical Creatures. I am aware of your own background." Harry slipped back into formal. "I apologize."

"No, I tend to react to that word."

"Luna uses the term 'creatures and beings.' Maybe that would be better?" Fleur smiled. Harry found it amusing that someone behind him stumbled as she did. "Careful with that. I doubt Madame Pomphrey wants a patient because you put some poor fool in her care."

Fleur laughed, also in a musical tone. "You are immune."

"I am studying Occlumency. If you were to bring it to full bore, I may have issues." He was silent. "I didn't do as well at the World Cup."

"There were many full adults deliberately trying to cause the effect. Even dispersed over that crowd, no training in mental arts would have helped you." She was silent. "My family was there that night. The attack was frightening."

"Someone thought I cast the Dark Mark. Somehow, my wand was used."

"I had heard that. Pickpocketed?" She paused as she seemed to debate the word. Harry nodded.

"I guess." Harry's gaze seemed to grow distant. "I saw a man, straw colored hair and cackling like a mad man as he cast. I didn't know it was my wand he had."

"He wasn't masked?"

"No. My glasses had been knocked off in the rush, so I didn't know who it was." He shook his head. "Could have been Malfoy's father," he said, gesturing over his shoulder to a blonde boy dancing with a girl whose nose was rather pug like. "I wouldn't have known."

"His family is known in France as well. Thieves and murderers. Most who remained in France are the lowest class of people."

"Figures. He's the same, just hides behind money."

The song ended. "What haven't you figured out about your egg?"

"How to swim and what they might take."

"You can practice in the lake," she said, taking his arm as though he were escorting her, but leading him back to Luna.

"I've got a better option."

She looked mystified but did not ask. "Good luck with the Tournament, Harry Potter. I hope you make it through as well as you did in the first task…as long as I win."

"The win can be yours, Fleur. I don't honestly care." He bowed at the waist, kissing the back of her hand.

"You are a ham, Harry Potter." Luna laughed, stepping up next to him.

"He can be," Granger said as Krum led her over. "Viktor would like a dance with Luna, and I was hoping Harry would dance with me as well?" Viktor did not really look like he wanted to dance with Luna, but Harry didn't really feel differently. He looked at Luna, who canted her head, giving that look he'd learned was her version of "Do it because it's right."

"I would be honored, Mr. Krum. Harry, be a good boy."

"Yes, ma'am." Fleur found her date, laughing at the pair as she walked away. Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Ms. Granger." He offered his arm.

This dance was very different than with Fleur. Granger tried to continue her prior interrogation, but Harry had ignored the questions, answering as few as he could to avoid a scene. "You hate me, don't you."

Harry found himself surprised enough to almost stop. He continued on as he considered the source of the surprising awareness from her. "I don't hate you. You made your opinion clear. I'm just abiding by that choice."

"I really thought you wanted to be involved in this. Every year…"

"Yes, I've heard. Every year you nearly die. You should be safe now. You've cut ties." It took all of his training to not spit the words at her. He hated himself for letting her get to him. He needed to remove this anger. She's not worth it. She walked away, let her deal with her own consequences. I'll deal with mine from her decision in my own way.

"I want …I want to be friends, but I don't want the adventures."

The song was not over, but Harry was finished. "That's what you don't get. I don't either." He enunciated each word quietly, then walked away, leaving her on the floor. He took another cup of punch and sipped it, smiling as he saw the smaller Luna dancing with the much taller Krum.

Watching her, he had to shake his head as he took another sip of his drink. She looked happy and he realized that's what was missing from the friendship Hermione was about to claim she wanted. He was happy with her being happy and she felt the same. As though he had called her name, Luna looked over at him, canting her head for a second, then smiled broadly at him. He saluted her with the punch cup.

At that song's end, Krum escorted Luna back. "Where is Hermione?"

Harry gestured. "I saw her head to the side. I excused myself as I wasn't feeling the best at the moment. I think I'm overheated." He looked at Luna. "Shall we take that walk you mentioned?"

"Of course," Luna said with a chirpy tone. "Thank you for the dance, Viktor. I appreciate it."

"Thank you for being a gentleman, Mr. Krum."

"Viktor, please. You have earned that courtesy with your honor, even if you lied just now." He made a face. "Hermione is rather…persistent."

Harry nodded at being caught. "I was trying to be nice. Persistent…that is a word for her. She seems to want things to go back to how they were, but on her terms. I…I don't know if I'll ever be ready for that after what happened here."

He nodded, "I'll take her a punch and we'll sit a dance out. Perhaps she will talk to me." Viktor held his hand out, shaking Harry's. He felt he had to give a small smile at the gesture.

"I wish you the best in the Tournament, Viktor."

"You as well, Harry."

Harry's small smile shifted to a grin. "I already said I hoped Fleur won, so…"

The dour Bulgarian laughed. "She does have that effect, does she not?"

"Not to me." Harry walked off and Luna took his arm as she joined him. "You already knew that, though, didn't you?"

"I did. You're muffled even to me, so I figured."

"I can throw off the Imperius, too, not that I want to bring up one of those three very often." She squeezed his arm, and they walked out into the chill air. Other couples were taking advantage of the night air, but Luna and Harry weren't attempting to find a private place for those kinds of pursuits. They simply took a nice long walk under the moon.

Soon, they returned and were sitting on a bench, watching as Professor Snape was casting into rose bushes, seeming to be on the hunt. Harry made a gesture to get his attention and the man gave him a diminished scowl, nothing compared to the usual ones he'd received in class. Harry pointed at a bush a few away from them. The man straightened and nodded.

"Who's in there?"

"No idea, I just heard a girl giggle." Harry turned to watch. There was a bluish bolt of light and a disheveled Parkinson and Malfoy tumbled out of the bush. "Oh, guess it was Malfoy. Not worth watching." He rose and offered his arm. "Another dance?"

"Please."

A/N: So, a cupcake for the one who guesses the Marvel reference in this little bit. Other than that, I don't have much to say other than the interaction with Harry and Hermione was fun to write, particularly the last line by Harry. I can't see him being the action hero considering how he grew up. Probably just me, but hey, what can I say?

Thanks for reading and see you next time.