Chapter 45 :

Harry had spent the last few days dodging a whole gaggle of boys and women of all kinds that wanted to ask him as a date for the ball. He had been scared to death several times and heavily traumatized more often than not, but now it was his turn : he was going to ask Malfoy out. Let's just hope the aforementioned wasn't a jerk too...


Draco was anxious. Ever since Weasley had come to him for -Hell forbids!- dating advices, everything had gone down to the gutter. In other words, he was suffering from a deadly affliction also known as « Theo was being a literal trigger happy MURDER DEVIL and he didn't know why ! -HEEEEELP!- ».

As if his fellow Slytherins weren't already terrified, Theo had a permanent glare lately and had filled at least two of his notebooks with names of his detractors. The fact that he burned his earlier notebook into ashes, said a lot about the random disappearances occurring in the House these past few days. Draco dearly hoped the victims would be found in time for the ball, or Slytherin would make a very poor showing at the Yule celebrations. Did he care that he failed to save his Housemates in the end ? Heck no ! At least he was still alive !

Anyway, Draco was waiting in front of the Potion classroom with his classmates and a serial killer on a bad day, when suddenly Potter approached him with a quaking step.

"Hey... Malfoy... ?" Asked the detonator in front of its nuclear bomb counterpart. "Can we talk for a bit... ?"

Nerves frayed with stress but still trying to be polite and nice, Draco squeaked an inconspicuous answer :

"Of course." He mechanically pronounced with a medium-rare sneer, making sure to be as emotionally distant as humanly possible. "What can I do for you, Potter ?"

"Ah- ! No- ! I mean... can we talk in private... ?" Shyly specified the young Gryffindor.

Was... was Potter trying to kill him... ? Oh Gods. Oh Merlin. Theo was watching ! The Devil was watching !

"No need, Potter !" Denied Draco with his fakest smile. "I. Have. Nothing. To. Hide."

This last sentence was particularly well enunciated and supported by a lot of telltale glances toward his King. It was his hope that absolute transparency would mitigate the damages. Though it would probably stay at the « hope » stage given how jealous of a glare Theo was sporting.

"Oh. Okay." Amended the green eyed boy before mustering his courage and asking in one go. "DoyouwanttogototheYuleBallwithme ?"

Draco was horrified. He tried to deny Reality, even as The King was taking out one of his damned notebooks and accursed pen :

"What."

"I- I mean," Still clarified Potter, unaware of how much worse he was making everything. "Do you... do you want to go to the Yule Ball... with me... ?"

The young Malfoy was promptly done with this Life. He didn't care anymore. Kill him now ! Smite him where he stood ! Please make him unalive for what was coming ! He looked toward the distance with an upset gaze. His only regret was never telling Pansy how much he loved her. Had he known...

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, even though all he wanted was to flee and hide under his bed to cry like a little girl, the Slytherin still dug his own grave :

"Look Potter," He yielded with a heavy sigh. "I got nothing against you, really. Apart from being a very reckless somewhat stubborn idiot, I'm sure you're a great guy and all that. But I am already going to the ball with Pansy. And frankly I can't bear your presence at all. I can't stand you. When I see you all I want is to scream and run away."

Please, let him run away... !


Oliver Wood decided to be brave today. There was a Yule Ball coming up and he still didn't have a date. All that because of a lot of self-questioning and hesitations. But he was a Gryffindor, wasn't he ? And Diggory did kiss him after all ! It surely meant something, right... ?

So here he was, waiting for his -dare he say- crush, near the Quidditch Pitch after the Hufflepuff practice hour. It didn't take long for Diggory to appear from the locker room. He was particularly dazzling in the Scottish fog, his hair still dripping from his shower. Oliver had his heart in his throat and his hands were suddenly very sweaty. Even so, he took his courage by the balls and called out :

"Hey, Diggory ! Wanna go to the ball together ?"

Lame. Atrociously, unbelievably lame. But at least it was out ! Now the brave Gryffindor just had to wait for an answ-

"Sorry." Said the younger man with shifty eyes. "I- I'm already going with Cho..."

Oh.

Oh.

"Cho, uh..."

"Yeah..."

Shit. This was awkward.

"W-well, erh, it was good to see you... ?" Tried to smile Oliver with difficulty.

"Y-yeah ! I, erh, gotta go, so..."

And then he left... Just like that... The boy of his dreams...

The Gryffindor raised his eyes to the pale grey sky. It seemed that rain only fell on his cheeks today... Weird, uh ?


AN : So, I have one or two chapters ready for you and it starts by... HEARTBREAKS ! Nothing like heartbreaks to get the blood pumping, ammiright!? ^^' I'll publish the other two chapters throughout the next weeks. LMAO