A/N: Thank you to everyone who followed/fav/reviewed. I just wanted to say that I have plotted out the next couple of stories following this one, and I will just go ahead and say that the next story will be a "spin-off", only a couple chapters long, like literally three at most, and its tentatively titled "Operation: Saving Justin Foley". But first, we need to get through this story, so here is chapter VIII.
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Chapter VIII: Spawn's of Poseidon Can be Useful Every Once and a While… Who Knew?
Nico di Angelo sat down next to Hermione Granger in Professor McGonagall's transfiguration classroom. All the desks had been pushed against the walls, and two sets of wooden bleachers were facing each other in the middle of the classroom. Every Gryffindor who was a Fourth Year or above was seated on either side of the bleachers. A large gramophone sat at the back of the classroom with Filch standing beside it, looking extremely bored.
"What's going on?" Parvati Patil asked Hermione when she sat down on the other side of her.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "No idea, and it's bugging me that I can't figure it out." The Fourth year complained.
"Have you heard anything, Nico?" Parvati asked, leaning over Hermione.
Nico shook his head, "I was just told not to be late."
The doors to classroom loudly opened and Professor McGonagall quickly walked into the room.
"Good morning, thank you all for coming down on your Saturday." Professor McGonagall greeted.
"Not like we had much of a choice." Nico heard a boy sitting behind him mutter.
If McGonagall heard him, she did not let it show as she continued on, "As per-tradition with the Triwizard Tournament, on Christmas the host school always puts on the traditional Yule Ball."
There were small rumbles going around the room, trying to decipher what McGonagall was talking about.
"Quiet!" She ordered. The room quickly fell silent once again. "The Yule Ball is a dance of sorts, it is a way for us all-to-er, to put our hair down. The ball aims to let lose any tensions between the schools and allow everyone to just have some fun.
Nico looked across the room and saw Harry and Ron look terrified. Nico did notice that the two had not been fighting anymore. Apparently, they reconciled their grievances after Harry survived the First Task, according to Hermione.
"But, the ball is also a very formal affair, and I will not allow the house of Godric Gryffindor to be embarrassed by any buffoonery!" Professor McGonagall demanded.
The faces of everyone, especially the boys went white as they started to realize what she meant. 'Oh no.' Nico thought to himself.
"Yes, you all must learn how to dance." McGonagall said with a little too much glee in her voice. "I shall need a volunteer." All the boys instantly shrank in their seats,"-Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall called out walking over to Ron and gesturing for him to join her.
He shook his head 'no', fear present in his eyes. Eventually the Weasley twins pushed him up, much to their delight.
Ron slowly joined McGonagall and hesitantly grabbed her hands. McGonagall nodded her head at Filch and he turned the gramophone on, and a slow Waltz started to play.
McGonagall started to demonstrate how to 'properly' dance. "One… Two… Three… One… Two… Three…" She called out as Ron constantly tripped over his own feet.
Nico had to suppress a laugh, while Hermione covered her mouth as she giggled.
"Everyone up! Find a partner." McGonagall called out and everyone quickly got up and ran around the room looking for a partner.
Nico stuck close to Hermione, unsure of what to do.
Hermione noticed Nico just standing there and grabbed his arm. "Come on." She ordered and placed his hand on her waist and grabbed onto the other.
Nico still felt extremely awkward, partly because he and Hermione were essentially the same height, and because he would rather jump back into Tartarus then do this. "Uh-thanks." Nico muttered.
Nico let Hermione take the lead as they started to sway to the beat of the music.
"Do we all really have to go to this?" Nico asked as he tripped over his foot. Hermione laughed as she continued to lead Nico.
"Technically no, but I don't think Professor McGonagall is going to let any of us get out of it. And I need to go to support Harry. He's going to need the moral support." Hermione said as she cocked her head towards Harry who was struggling worse than Nico with some random Fifth Year girl.
"Are you two going together?" Nico asked, recalling the newspaper headline he saw just after the First Task claiming Harry and Hermione were in a secret love affair.
"What? God no!" Hermione said defensively.
Nico bit his lip, "Sorry, I saw the paper…"
Hermione sighed, "I shouldn't have snapped, but no, we are just friends. That article was just Rita Skeeter trying to sell a few papers."
Nico nodded, "Makes sense, I figured as much."
"So how about you? Anyone catch your fancy?" Hermione asked, peering her head around, Nico assumed she was trying to find him a date.
"I-I'm actually seeing someone." He muttered, not sure if he really wanted to have this conversation with the witch.
"Oh, I'm assuming that she's back in America?" She asked, making Nico flinch.
"Uh, no." He said, trying to think of anything to change the subject before deciding to rip the band-aide off. "I'm… with Will." Nico nervously muttered, avoiding Hermione's gaze.
"Oh good." Hermione said, almost relieved.
Nico narrowed his eyes at the witch, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione blushed slightly, "Oh, no-nothing. It was just, I wasn't trying to assume but I didn't want to ask, just because, you-know…" Hermione stammered.
"Are we really that obvious?" Nico asked as he started to lead Hermione a little bit further away from the cluster of Gryffindors.
"Kinda, but only when you two are sitting with one another, and its more him than you, so I figured he was, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure on you…" Hermione explained.
Nico nodded his head, internally trying not to freak out.
"Are you two…you know-"
"Out?" Nico asked quietly.
Hermione nodded her head.
"Umm, not hiding it necessarily, but not advertising. Just, us being us." Nico murmured. "We weren't so sure how… accepting magical Europe would be to us."
Hermione seemed to really think about his answer, "Well, I haven't known too many gay witches or wizards, but it seems to be going okay with Cedric and…Malcolm, right? It's been a moment since we've actually met."
Nico nodded his head, "Yeah, you have a point, I'm just a private person, my business isn't anyone else's business." Nico stated sternly.
Hermione bit her lip, weighing her possible responses. "Well, if you care for my opinion, I think that you two make a great pair." She whispered just before McGonagall clapped her hands to garner everyone's attention.
Everyone stopped dancing and turned their attention to Professor McGonagall with a blushing Ronald Weasley trying to back away from the older witch.
"I think that is enough… dancing for one day. Go enjoy the rest of your Saturday." McGonagall said and everyone in the room quickly went back to gather their things at the benches. "-Oh, and Seventh Years, don't forget to hand in your essays before class Monday!" She yelled over the commotion of the students.
Nico heard a few groans but quickly pushed past the students making his way out the door.
Will was waiting for him down the hall, just like he had promised an hour earlier.
"Hey Neeks, how was dance rehearsal?" Will asked shimming his shoulders slightly.
Nico shook his head, "How did you know that's what we were doing?"
Will snorted like it was the dumbest question he has ever heard, "I could hear the music and the sound of everyone's out-of-time feet off the stone, which carried out here. And you're also sweating." Will laughed wiping a bead of sweat from Nico's forehead.
Nico quickly groaned and used the bottom of his shirt to dry his face.
"Now, more importantly, why were you guys dancing?" Will asked, leading Nico down the empty halls of Hogwarts.
Nico shrugged his shoulders, "Apparently there's this thing called a 'Yule Ball' on Christmas-"
"Ooh, ball, as in like a gala, or a dance?" Will interrupted excited.
"Yup." Nico said popping the 'P'. "We were waltzing… I think. It was more like swaying to a beat, but yeah. It's extremely formal."
Will bit his lip, "Do I need to fight someone?" He asked, feigning seriousness.
Nico rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's attempt at sounding threatening. "I danced with Hermione. Hardly a threat to you and your apparent fragile masculinity."
Will stared at him for another moment before breaking down in a fit of laughter. "I could never be the jealous boyfriend type. Herakles! It takes a lot of effort just to try and be jealous."
Nico cracked a smile at him, "I did mention to Hermione that you and I are…" Nico led, letting Will connect the dots.
"Oh, good. I'm glad you're getting more comfortable about being a little more open. I know its… difficult, especially for you so-"
"So, you're not mad I didn't talk to you about it first?" Nico asked.
Will shook his head. "No, of course not. I told you, I am ready to be as open about us as you are. No more, no less." Will whispered glancing down the hall before grasping Nico's fingers with his own.
Nico nodded his head, "Good, and um…"
"Yeah…?" Will asked nervously.
"I want to go to the Yule Ball, with you. As in go as a couple." Nico said nervously.
Will's face made a few different shapes as he tried to process what Nico just said. After another moment his face lit up and large smile was plastered on his face. "Really, you want too?" Will asked excitedly.
"Yes… I think? No, yes… I do want to go, with you." Nico said. "I need to get over this fear. I need to let go of the fear Eros has been hanging on over me for months now. I need to accept that this isn't Nineteen-Thirties Italy." Nico listed, his voice getting shakier as he went on, trying not to let the emotions get to him. He could feel his eyes start to water up. "I need to live my-"
Will quickly wrapped him up in a hug. "It's okay. I'm proud of you. I know this isn't easy for you."
Nico nodded before pulling away. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve before stepping back. "With that out of the way, what did you want to do today. I already finished all of my homework for the next few days."
"Wow, nerd." Will laughed as he led Nico down the hall.
Nico rolled his eyes. "I know you're not talking."
Will shrugged his shoulders. "I just say it as I see it."
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Malcolm Pace kept an eye over his shoulder while Cedric opened the door to the Prefect's bathroom. The large, secluded room had become their 'spot' with the cold November air making it difficult to find privacy outside the castle. The only person outside of the other demigods who knew that they had essentially commandeered the large bathroom was Moaning Myrtle, and that was only because Cedric and Myrtle had made a deal earlier in the year that she would haunt the bathroom, keeping all other staff and students as far away as possible.
Most of the time only Malcolm and Cedric use the room, Nico and Will typically hang out in the library, and Lou Ellen… She could adjust to any environment, or she would come up to the bathroom on her own, and let her frustration out on the bathroom stalls.
Cedric had to magically repair a stall or two over the past few weeks after Lou Ellen would get into an argument or a near fight with someone and release her anger on the defenseless bathroom.
Malcolm followed Cedric into the bathroom as he magically locked the door behind them. Once the door was locked, Cedric reached into his bag and pulled out the dreaded golden egg.
For weeks now, the demigods, and even a few of Cedric's Hogwarts friends have been pouring their resources into trying to figure out what the clue for the next task was, hiding somewhere in the booby-trapped egg.
"I still think those symbols on the side are a language of some type." Malcolm observed, as Cedric placed the large egg on the ground next to the empty bathtub.
"Well, it's not Latin, Greek, Celtic, or any magical language I or Lou Ellen recognize." Cedric added.
Malcolm threw his hands up at a loss.
Cedric hovered his hand over the top the egg, nearly touching the dial which would open the egg to the gods awful screeching. They had attempted to suffer through the screeching one night, but they couldn't handle the pain. It got to the point where it was even bothering Myrtle.
"Well, I'm out of ideas." Cedric muttered, sitting down next to the egg, his feet swinging aimlessly in the open tub.
Malcolm sat down next to him and the egg, looking up at the stained-glass mermaid near the ceiling.
"We could always call my sister, Annabeth that is, and see if she has any ideas?" Malcolm suggested.
Cedric shrugged his shoulders, "No offense to Annabeth, but she's not exactly prone in the arts of magic."
"No, but, she might see something we're missing." Malcolm retorted.
Cedric gave Malcolm a slight gesture with his hand. Malcolm quickly got up and turned on one of the top spickets of the large fountain in the middle of the bathtub, and looked around for a source of light.
A bright beam of light hit him directly in the face, looking up at the source, Malcolm watched as the mermaid in the glass moved, and gave him a small wink. A bright ray of light shined from the painted sun in the sky behind the rock the mermaid had been sitting on moments earlier.
Malcolm backed up to where he and Cedric were sitting, making sure to avoid the splashes of water.
A rainbow appeared in front of the two demigods and Malcolm reached into his robes looking for a golden Drachma. Smirking in satisfaction when he found the large coin, he quickly tossed it into the rainbow. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering." Malcolm prayed as he waited for the shimmering water particles to accept his payment. "Show me Annabeth Chase in Manhattan, New York."
A few seconds later an image of Annabeth and a shirtless Percy Jackson appeared, both sitting up against a headboard in Percy's bed.
Percy nearly jumped up out of bed, while Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"What?" She asked slightly annoyed.
Cedric waved at the duo as Percy struggled to put on a camouflage green tank top.
"We need your help." Malcolm said, holding up the egg.
Annabeth stared at the egg for a moment before nodding. "Percy, pause it." She commanded.
Percy rolled his eyes as he struggled to find the remote.
"What are you guys watching?" Malcolm asked, his curiosity winning over the part of his brain that told him to let it go.
"CNN." Annabeth said.
Malcolm gave her a questioning gesture. "You're pausing the news?"
"Yeah… Oh, I forgot, you're devoid of what's going on in the mortal world. We're watching the fallout from the royal wedding." Annabeth laughed.
"I'm going to regret this, but what?" Malcolm asked, not glancing at Cedric, knowing that he was judging him.
"Short version, the Prince, not the one getting married-"
"-Henry." Percy supplied, not looking up from the Nintendo Switch he had grabbed from the nightstand next to his bed.
"Yes, Prince Henry. Anyways, you know the First Son, as of the First Son of the United States-"
"Alex?" Malcolm asked questionably, full well knowing who the most eligible twenty-one year old bachelor in the US was.
"Yeah, he and Prince Henry got into a drunken fight at Prince Phillips wedding and knocked over their seventy-five-thousand-dollar wedding cake. It's literally the only thing on TV." Annabeth laughed. "It's the biggest international incident to happen between the US and UK in years."
Percy looked up from the Switch, "Literally, the only thing on TV." He said clearly annoyed.
"Well, that sucks for Phillip, and US foreign policy, but can we get back to our life and death situation." Malcolm pleaded with his older sister.
"Right, sorry. What's your problem?" Annabeth asked, her demeanor back at the stereotypical level for a child of Athena.
Malcolm and Cedric quickly recalled the tale of the First Task, and the mystery behind the golden egg.
"I assume you tried opening it?" Annabeth asked.
Malcolm inhaled deeply, "Yes Annabeth, we tried opening it, and it's warded with some type of sonic defense spell."
"It looks like a messenger egg." Percy said, finally putting his gaming device down. Malcolm was going to ask him why he dared mess with an electronic device later.
"Come again?" Cedric asked.
"It looks like the messaging eggs the mer-people around Poseidonis use." Percy said.
"What's a Poseidonis?" Cedric asked.
"The city where Poseidon rules the seas from." Malcolm answered.
"Yeah, underwater dwellers use them to leave messages. Have you tried submerging the egg in the water and then try listening to it?" Percy asked.
Malcolm and Cedric looked at one another. "Nope." Malcolm muttered.
"That should do it then." Percy said and went back to his game.
Malcolm just gave Annabeth a 'WTF' face at Percy's random act of helpfulness.
"What can I say, he has his moments." Annabeth laughed. Percy made an unpleasant face at her comment but didn't look up from his game.
"How the Hades are you playing that without getting swamped by monsters?" Malcolm asked.
"He doesn't have it connected to the Wi-Fi." Annabeth answered. "He's been obsessing with it all weekend." Annabeth murmured.
Percy pursed his lips, "I have not. I only have a couple of more days before I have to send it back with your brother, I'm just trying to figure out if I should invest into one of these things." He said defensively.
"It's Bobby's Switch. He and Matthew are staying with us for a few days while Dad does some exhibit up in Boston. And gods only know what their mother is doing right now, so I offered for them to be able to hang out with us and see the city." Annabeth explained.
Cedric and Malcolm cooed, "Aww, look at you being a helpful big sister." Malcolm laughed.
"Ah, shut up you two. Don't you have rabbits to pull out of some hats or something?" She mocked.
"That is an offensive stereotype." Malcolm countered while Cedric tried to contain his laughter.
Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I'm hanging up now. But Mal, stay safe, and if you ever need help. We're an IM away." Annabeth said seriously. "You too Cedric. Send the others our best, love you little bro."
"You too Annie." Malcolm said and cut the connection before Annabeth could scold him.
Once the rainbow cloud dissipated Cedric walked over to the other spickets and turned them on, flooding the large tub. Rainbow soaps mixed in with the water and created a white blanket over the water.
Cedric and Malcolm quickly jumped out of the tub before the water could get them wet.
"Can't we just plug a sink and drop the egg in it, or something?" Malcolm asked, eyeing the tub filling up with water at an unnatural rate.
Cedric gave him a devilish smirk, "Now where's the fun in that?" He asked, dropping his robe and undoing his tie.
Malcolm stood biting his lower lip, not sure on how he should respond. "Are you seriously stripping and getting into the bathtub to listen to an egg?"
Cedric shrugged his shoulders, "Its that or get my clothes wet." Using his signature smirk, he continued to take off his clothes. His smile faltered when he noticed Malcolm just standing there, not moving. "You don't have to get in if you don't want too, or if you're not-"
Malcolm cut him off by throwing off his shirt and undoing his belt and dropped down to his red boxers. Cedric bit his lip as he watched his boyfriend strip off the remainder of his clothing and step into the quickly filling bathtub, sinking into the colorful bubbles.
"You commin'?" Malcolm asked ducking his head underneath the water and jumping back up, his entire head covered in a rainbow of bubbles.
Cedric could not have gotten the rest of his clothes off faster and cannonballed into the tub. Malcolm covered his eyes as a wall of water ran into him.
Cedric popped out of the tub laughing as Malcolm just gave him a frustrated look as he spat out a stream of water that had gotten in his mouth.
"What?" Cedric asked.
Malcolm shook his head and glided over to Cedric. "This thing is almost more of a swimming pool than a bathtub." Malcolm observed as the taps slowed their flow of water.
"Is that a problem?" Cedric asked, almost sarcastically.
Malcolm shrugged his shoulders, "Just an observation."
Cedric squatted to keep the water just below his shoulders and wiped some of the bubbles off Malcolm's chin.
Malcolm leaned in to kiss Cedric, taking him almost by surprise before he returned the favor. Cedric pushed Malcolm back towards the edge of the tub without breaking the kiss.
Malcolm used his hand to steady himself on the wall, making sure that he wouldn't slip below the water. Malcolm broke the kiss when he heard a high pitched 'squeak' directly above him.
Cedric and Malcolm both stared at one another for a moment and slowly looked up to see Myrtle with a hand covering her mouth and gave a shy wave at the two.
"Myrtle!" Cedric yelled reaching for his wand, but remembering that it was out of reach, sitting with his clothes and the egg.
"Don't mind me, please continue." Myrtle said, floating just out of arm reach above the couple.
Cedric looked like he was about to start World War III with the ghost. Malcolm gently stroked Cedric's arm trying to calm him down.
"Hey babe." Malcolm softly said grabbing Cedric's attention. "Ignore her, let's actually try to figure out this egg thing."
Cedric nodded his head and stepped out of the tub and carefully walked over to where the egg sat. Malcolm inadvertently stared at Cedric's lean form. Cedric must have known Malcolm was staring because he started to slow and exaggerate his movements. He slowly leaned down to pick up the egg and started to walk back to the tub.
"Enjoy the show?" Cedric asked, sinking back into the bubbly water, and placed his arm around Malcolm's shoulders.
"It was alright, a solid seven-out-of-ten." Malcolm laughed sarcastically.
Cedric gently pushed Malcolm, sliding him down the tub slightly. "Okay smartass, let's figure out this stupid thing." Cedric muttered, holding the egg just above the water. "Ready?" He asked eyeing the egg and Malcolm nervously.
Malcolm nodded his head and the two slowly sank underneath the water, and Cedric carefully opened the egg. Malcolm flinched anticipating the high-pitched siren call, but instead a soft melodic voice started to sing.
Malcolm was distracted by the sudden change in the sound coming from the egg that he missed the first half of the lyrics in the song.
"-We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we've took,
But past an hour-the prospects black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Cedric and Malcolm both shot up as soon as the song ended, gasping for air.
"Merlin, that was intense." Cedric said, making sure to close the egg underneath the water before bringing it back up, and sitting it aside out of the tub.
"Did you catch it all?" Malcolm asked.
Cedric nodded his head, "I think so… But I have no idea where to start with this." He admitted.
"Well, it mentioned something about having an hour to recover something of yours… So, a scavenger hunt or some type of recovery quest." Malcolm said, talking more to himself then to Cedric.
"Alright, that doesn't really narrow anything down. I haven't noticed anything of value to me missing recently." Cedric said.
Malcolm shrugged his shoulders, "That just probably means they haven't taken it yet. They'll probably wait to the last possible moment that way you don't notice anything missing."
Cedric nodded his head before looking at a clock hanging up near the exit. "It's almost dinner time, you want to head down and meet up with the others and try to workshop some ideas?"
Malcolm slowly nodded his head in agreement before stepping out of the large tub, shivering from the sudden loss of heat from the bath.
Cedric quickly followed and picked up his wand to instant-dry both of them.
"Thanks." Malcolm said shivering as he put his clothes on.
"Of course my love." Cedric said in a faux accent. "I'm going to run the egg back to my dormitory, meet you in the Hall?" He asked giving Malcolm a quick peck on the cheek and walked out of the bathroom before Malcolm could respond.
"Just automatically assume that I'm going to meet you why don't you?" Malcolm muttered to himself while rolling his eyes. "It's a good thing I finally remembered which hallway to turn down." He said under his breath as he slipped his arms through the sleeves of the black robe. "Gods I can't wait until I can just wear jeans and a T-Shirt again."
"Oh quit your complaining!" Myrtle called out from one of the bathroom stalls.
"Ah shut-up you waste of ecto-plasm!" Malcolm called out.
"I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, but I assume its an insult, and I do not appreciate it you whiny bitch!" Myrtle yelled back.
Malcolm cocked his head back in surprise at the ghost's brashness and stormed out of the bathroom while 'flipping' off the bathroom stalls.
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Lou Ellen Blackstone sat alone at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, holding a crème envelope with golden cursive writing across the back of the paper. A decorative stamp sat in the corner, an image of her father and future stepmother smiling and waving in the magical portrait.
Lou Ellen didn't look up when someone sat down across from her, she was completely mesmerized at the wedding invitation.
She knew that she had no reason to have any ill-will towards Penelope, she made her father happy, and vice versa, and she defiantly did not start to date her father for his money, since she could just buy her own country if she really wanted too. But the change was just too much. She wasn't ready to have another person enter their lives. Even though Lou Ellen had not been in her father's life that much ever since she spent majority of her time either at school or Camp. But gods forgive her for being slightly selfish and wanting to be protective of her father.
"You've been staring at that letter all day now, you ever going to open it?" The voice of Draco Malfoy spoke up from the other side of the table.
She debated on whether to tell the other Slytherin to bug off, but just sighed before sitting the envelope down on the table and took a large swig of her drink.
"It's the invitation for my father's wedding." Lou Ellen said softly.
Draco pursed his lips, thinking through what to say, which somewhat surprised the daughter of Hecate.
"Oh, I'm assuming you don't like the gold-digger?" Draco laughed.
Lou Ellen cracked a smile, "Ironically, she's the one who has more money, and probably power than dad."
"Right." The realization of who Thomas was marrying appeared on Draco's face. "Your father's engaged to Ambassador Creighton-Ward. My father has had some… choice words and opinions on the matter." Draco said carefully.
Lou Ellen snorted, "Opinions on the fact that a white woman is marrying a black man or opinions on a No-Maj marrying a wizard?"
Draco's eyes landed everywhere but Lou Ellen. "A little bit of both." He murmured.
Lou Ellen shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Doesn't surprise me, no offense." She and Draco both knew she meant to insult Lucious but left it at that.
"When's the wedding?" Draco asked changing the subject.
"Christmas, I think. I should probably open the invitation to know for sure." She muttered, making Draco crack a smile.
"So, that means you're going to miss the Yule Ball?" Draco asked.
"If there was one bright spot from all this, that would be it." Lou Ellen softly laughed. "Are you going to the ball?" Lou asked, surprising herself that she asked.
Draco also seemed to be surprised that she asked, "Umm, no, don't have anyone to go with, nor do I want to go."
Lou Ellen raised one of her eyebrows, "What about Pansy?"
Draco ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. "We broke up actually, a little over a week ago."
Lou Ellen sat up, slightly shocked. Mainly because she didn't know they had broken up, she figured it would be the hottest gossip in the dormitory.
"You seemed surprised." Draco observed as he used his wand to summon a cup and drank out of it while he waited for Lou Ellen to respond.
"I would be lying if I said that I didn't see it coming." Lou Ellen muttered into her cup, looking over the bottom of the glass at Draco's reaction.
He simply shrugged. "When you… intervened that one night, it kind of opened my eyes about just how-"
"-Much of a bitch she is?" Lou Ellen interrupted.
Draco cracked a smile. "Sure."
Lou Ellen looked down at the letter before taking a deep breath in and finally undid the wax seal, opened the invitation.
'You are formally invited to attend President Thomas Blackstone and Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward's wedding on the Twenty-fifth of December.
Please send you intention to attend and any guests you wish to bring as soon as possible, and a portkey will be sent to you.'
Lou Ellen placed the letter down and looked back up at Draco who was putting together a plate of food. She glanced back down at her letter before shaking her head when the thought crossed her mind.
'Don't do it.' The rationale part of her brain told her. But she looked at Draco, and how at peace he seemed to be right now, especially since he wasn't around any of his troublesome friends, or his now-ex-girlfriend. He was always almost a completely different person when he wasn't trying to show off in front of everyone.
"Hey Draco." Lou Ellen said before he could stop herself. He looked up at her.
"Since you don't have any plans for the Yule Ball, do you, perhaps want to go with me to my dad's wedding." She asked. Draco tilted his head, clearly thinking the decision over. "As friends. Nothing more, nothing less." She added quickly.
Draco thought over it for another moment, "As friends then." He responded.
Lou Ellen looked up to see Cedric and Will walking over to an empty spot at the Ravenclaw table where Malcolm and Nico were huddled up. "Great, formal wear, but bring beach clothes, its going to be held on a tropical island." She said and quickly stood up to walk over to the other demigods.
'What the Hades am I doing to myself.'
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May the Force be with you and mask up!