Chapter 51 :

Ron was sitting aimlessly near the Common's Room windows, staring into the darkening sky. He was feeling melancholic. He shouldn't : Hermione had forgiven him and they were finally back to being friends, but... He had missed his chance. Had he been a little smarter, a little more aware, he could have asked her out to the ball in time. Alas...

He sighed.

Before he could continue to drown himself in his own thoughts, a fury bearing the Weasley name came to him in a blaze, calling him from the other side of the room :

"RON !"

"What do you want, Ginny ?" Winced the boy at the unholy volume of his little sister.

"Ron, you prat !" She sneered when she arrived by his side. "You owe me !"

"I owe you... ?" He repeated bewildered. "What in Morgana's tit's name are you talking about ?"

Ginny stopped herself for a bit, finally noticing that her brother was under the weather. Where anyone else would have asked what was wrong and offered comfort and support, the girl did nothing of that. Instead, she decided to handle this in another way. The Weasley way.

She snorted and started taunting him :

"What, you thought that reconciling with Hermione was the end of your struggles ? You thought that because you apologized you were now a better man ? You're a dumbass, Ron Weasley ! The World doesn't revolve around you !"

Her aim was to make him angry. SO angry that he would stop this self-pity fest. But contrary to expectations, Ron only stared at her with the most deadpan look ever for a very long uncomfortable moment. Just when she was finally getting awkward, he scolded her :

"I'm the one who taught you the Weasley Anti-Moping Method, you brat ! You're thousands years too young to use it on me !"

Ginny flinched. She hadn't thought he would ever use the « older brother card » on her. As the last two of the Weasley Herd, they usually stuck together. He had never used his seniority over her before and she had taken that for granted. She should have known better.

"You still owe me..." She pouted grumpily.

"What are you on about ?" He asked with a roll of his eyes. "I don't owe you anything."

"Yes, you do, you prat !" She retorted indignantly. "Do you know who has to listen to Hermione's unending rants when you upset her !?"

"Erh... You ?" He answered sheepishly.

"Exactly ! So you better take me to the ball or I will show you why even the Twins fear me !"

"Do you have an appropriate dress ? I don't think you have time to order one..."

"I will come up with something ! Anyway, your answer ?"

"Fine, I'll take you to the ball." Sighed Ron exasperated before grumbling. "Not like I already had a date anyway..."

The bright grin of his sister answered him. The littlest Weasley seemed genuinely happy and proud of herself. He watched her swinging on her feet before bursting her bubble :

"Be honest with me, Ginny." He said with a smirk. "You only want to go to the ball because Luna is going with Harry and you don't want to be alone on Christmas, right ?"

She stopped short. Her blush was even brighter than her previous smile, making Ron chuckle at her expense. This was exactly why his sister was still the brat of the family : even when she could simply ask for things, she would rather trick people into doing her bidding.

Seriously, what a kid...


As always when they couldn't individually deal with Hogwart's most recent Bullshit, the Slytherins gathered in their Common Room to debate. The air was somber, somehow hanging heavily over everyone like the weight of their past sins. And as they were now accustomed to, Malfoy was once again the reason for their assembly -typical of him to make everyone agree to disapprove of his doings...-, an habit that he would do better to correct in the future if he wanted to retain his standing in this House. Not that he had any chance to keep it anymore given what brought them here today.

Parkinson had recently confided in Greengrass, who had then proceeded to spread these very confidences all over the school : Malfoy had apparently betrayed the Slytherin House by bearing the atrocious colours of the Enemy. And now that their verbose Ice Queen had gossiped beyond measure, they couldn't even hide this dishonour with well aimed Colouring Charms.

This was far worse than believing in the Nott/Potter friendship had been ! Well, to give credit where it was due, their Prince had been rightin that peculiar instance. But this was not the same. Nothing could humanly justify this new blemish on their reputation ! For others it would be a mere lapsus calami in the Great Script of Fate, but wasn't it well known that the flap of the wings of a butterfly caused hurricanes on the other side of the World ? The consequences of a Malfoy with red and gold hair were going to be disastrous ! For what was a Man without Honor !? What was a Slytherin without Pride !? If not a Beast !

"It's too late." Stated a fifth year boy with a pained face. "We can't hide it anymore... Even wigs would be of no use !"

"Greengrass is too damn efficient at what she does !" Commiserated another. "Truly a fearsome gossipmonger !"

"We can't give up !" Scolded them the Head Girl. "We have to find a solution and fast ! The Yule Ball is coming and with the number of our fellow Slytherins disappearing... Damned Malfoy !" She then cursed out with gritted teeth. "This is not the moment for teenage rebellion ! Couldn't he wait until next year for his identity crisis !?"

She turned toward The Scribe in askance, still hanging onto a thread of Hope that The Archives would contain a hint of an answer... It was in vain. The several dozens of Slytherins in attendance -way too few compared to the Glorious Era of Before-They-Made-Their-King-Mad- all let out a long sigh : things were even more dire than they had thought.

Just as they were going to push on their brains to find at least a band-aid solution, Malfoy, the source of their plight, came down the stairs of the dormitory. He was tall, with his back straight and his chin high, walking slowly in a semblance of nobility that fooled no one. His eyes may have been of the pure Silver of the Slytherin House, but the gold and red locks falling upon his face in an intentional dishevelled way spoiled the Truth to everyone looking : there was no Dignity to be found in this man. He had shamed them all.

"I heard you speaking." He still said in a mere whisper that somehow echoed through their ire. "You are right to think it is too late, but not for the reasons you suspect."

"SO WHAT- ?!" Started to rage the Head Girl, before a wave from The Scribe interrupted her.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy ?" Asked a grim faced Anisa, sensing something amiss.

"I failed you." Spoke achingly the now gold and red haired boy, staring everyone in the faces.

He could only lament at how few they were, this glaring lack of many of the more halfwit Slytherins merely another failure adding to his Guilt.

"I failed you !" He confessed once again but stronger. "I was your Prince- ! The last wall standing between you and Insanity- ! And I FAILED."

These last words were spat out with anger. Anger at himself and at the World. Draco had only been a cornered beast when making that mistake that ended up costing him so much. And now it was too late : he had besmirched the Pride, the Splendour, the History of Slyhterin.

"I made Our King furious and this is the result." He said with a clear voice, like a warning to future generations. "Nothing short of shaving it would make this shame disappear ! And then, it would only get worse. Let this be a lesson for you all : when you anger The King, you must bear the responsibility ! And now ? I WILL !"

"NO ! YOU CAN'T- !" Denied the Head-Girl, understanding with horror what the young Malfoy was about to do.

"Yes." Confirmed the Gryffindor's colours stained boy with determination. "I will attend the Yule Ball with THIS look !"


AN : Slytherins are so very dramatic I swear...

Anyway, just updating to say I'm still working on it but it's slow because I'm also working on other things at the same time. (It's been so long since I last wrote in french that I tried it for the fun and, Heck! My grammar sucks! lol)