When the final course was consumed and everyone had had time to linger over their coffee and tea, a bell sounded, signaling that it was time for the opening dance led by the Champions. Aria watched from her seat as Harry led Luna onto the dance floor behind Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor. The four couples took up stances on the dance floor and waiting only a few seconds before the orchestra began a traditional waltz. She grinned as Harry managed to not look like a robot as he danced with Luna, and she was glad to see Luna smiling as she let Harry lead.
After about five minutes, Nikola rose and held his hand out to Aria who took it and allowed herself to be led out onto the dance floor. They were soon followed by other, Dumbledore and McGonagall, the Tsar and Tsarina, and others. Soon the dance floor was full of dancing couples, smiles and laughter filling the hall.
Aria found herself dancing two dances with Nikola before he and Viktor switched dance partners and she danced with the Bulgarian Seeker. Then Harry showed up and she danced with him. Over the next few hours Aria's time was spent between the punchbowl and the dance floor dancing with many of her friends and a few boys from Beauxbatons. She took a turn with Cedric, Blaise, Theo, Neville, even Seamus and Dean managed to go and dance with a few of their friends before going back to dancing with each other. Aria even shared a little dance with Ivan while Harry made Desislava's night by dancing two dances with her. There were group dances as well, many from the British Isles that she could dance to, others from continental Europe. She joined the Beauxbatons students in a farandole which she found easy to pick up, and she stumbled her way through maraîchine, eventually having to go get a drink just to be able to catch her breath from her laughing so hard.
The Durmstrang students also showed off their dancing skills with a variety of Balkan and Russian dances. There were a few that only the male students danced to, and others both the boys and girls danced together. Aria joined Nikola on some of the slower dances where she could watch the footwork and emulate it, but the faster dances she enjoyed watching with a cup of punch.
It was during one of these dance exhibitions in which Nikola had convinced his mother and father to lead the circle, that Daphne and Theo popped up on either side of Aria.
"I need some air, come with me," Daphne said.
"Why's Theo coming then?"
"Because he's my date and he's being a good date by making sure I get the fresh air I need."
Suspicious. Aria didn't say anything though, allowing her friends to lead her out of the Great Hall through the atrium where a few people were gathered, drinking punch, and eating snacks and talking quietly. The three exited out to the front courtyard which had covered carriages waiting to take guests back to Hogsmeade. Around them fairies lit up shrubs and danced along strings hanging around the top of the courtyard, providing a sweet gentle glow of light. With the doors to Hogwarts open, the music could still be heard, a sweet quiet background to a glorious night.
Daphne and Theo began pulling Aria towards the far end of the courtyard, only for Theo to grab both of them and drag them behind a carriage.
"Karkaroff!" he hissed.
"—you're as scared as I am, Snape!" they heard Karkaroff say, anger in his voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Professor Snape answered, just as angrily. The sound of hinges squeaking reached Aria's ears. "Leach! Dunn! Get back inside. Twenty points each from Ravenclaw and don't let your parents see you, Leach."
The seventh year Ravenclaw prefect, Elena Dunn, rushed by followed closely by another seventh year Ravenclaw, Phineas Leach. It took all of their strength for Aria, Daphne, and Theo not to burst out laughing. Dunn was a Muggleborn, and it was Phineas' mother was Lillian Leach from the Board of Governors. She had already made her disdain for Aria known multiple times.
On top of that, neither Leach or Dunn had come to the Yule Ball with each other.
"Don't turn your back on me, Snape!" Karkaroff snapped. "You are and in the same position."
"What position is that, Igor?"
"Traitors, Snape! We are traitors and when the Dark Lord returns—,"
"He is dead, Karkaroff."
"You know as well as I that he is not."
"I know no such thing—,"
"Your Mark is darkening like mine, Snape. We both betrayed our lord and he—,"
"Are you certain he will punish you, Karkaroff?" Snape asked. "Or have you been trying to get back into his good graces if he is still alive as you say?"
Karkaroff was silent for a moment.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Don't you? Do you have no idea how a fourteen-year-old boy was forced to be the fourth champion in a three wixen tournament?"
Karkaroff said something in Russian before he stormed past Snape, heading back inside. There was silence and Aria thought maybe Snape had walked away, but then she heard,
"How much did you hear, Draco?"
"Er . . . enough?"
"What're you even doing out here? You're not planning to snog Miss Parkinson in a carriage, are you?"
"No!" Draco sounded scandalized. "I am a gentleman!"
"Then you also wouldn't be hanging about out here waiting for a tryst with Miss Bourne, would you?"
Aria glanced sharply at Daphne and Theo who pretended to find the fairy lights hanging overhead very interesting. Draco stuttered, giving their Head of House all the answer that he needed.
"It would behoove you to get back inside," Snape said.
"But—,"
"No, buts, Draco. Your grandfather might not be here, but there are dozens of cameras and journalists just waiting to report on everything and anything and there will be retribution if you so much as look in her direction tonight and get it printed in the paper!"
"That's not fair!"
"Life's not fair, Draco." Snape came marching by, one hand grasping Draco under an arm, leading him back to the castle. "I'd much prefer you and Miss Bourne alive however, so into the castle you go and hopefully she's not been sent out by your friends. Then you'd have a worse problem. You don't want girls thinking you stood them up."
Aria folded her arms, looking hard at her friends.
"We thought perhaps we could give you and Draco a dance or something," Theo muttered, kicking some snow around. "We didn't realize anyone would be patrolling the carriages."
Aria sighed.
"I appreciate it," she said. And she did. It was really rather sweet. "It is too bad that Snape was there. And Karkaroff."
The three began heading back towards the castle.
"What did Karkaroff mean by the Mark darkening?" she asked. Theo and Daphne shared a look. At first she thought neither of them would answer, but eventually Theo said,
"He means the Dark Mark. The Dark Lord marked his followers with a skull and snake. They faded when Harry first defeated him, but never disappeared. Since summer, though . . . they've been darkening. Which means he's gaining strength. Physically."
Aria shivered, remembering the tattoo she saw in her Vision of Draco and the snake-like man. The tattoo that Snape had shown her, the tattoo that represented all the bad decisions her Head of House had made in his life. At the same time, she remembered the parasite hanging off the back of Quirrell's head, the vile representation of Lord Voldemort. If he was regaining strength did that mean he had found a way to fully inhabit another body? Or somehow regained another body?
"What happens when the Dark Mark's back to normal?" she asked. Theo stopped walking, fingers curling until his nails pressed deeply into his palms.
"It'll mean he's back," he whispered. "If that were to happen . . . Abraxas Malfoy would be the least of your worries." He hurried back into the light of the Great Hall, leaving Aria and Daphne on the threshold between the steps and atrium.
"Theo's father . . ." Daphne began before stopping to collect her thoughts. "The Notts are very rich and know how to use their money to get what they want. It's just him and Theo now."
"Does Lord Nott have a mark?"
"Yes."
"Is . . ." Aria's voice shook a little. "Is there an expectation that Theo will get the Mark?"
"It's been a non-issue," Daphne murmured. "But if the Marks are darkening . . . I don't know where Lord Nott stands now. He's still very much a pureblood supremacist, but prior to us going to Hogwarts, he would not have been caught dead allowing Theo to hang out with people like you or Ron. And Theo and Ron always get together a few times during the summer to play chess. But I do know that if he were to return . . . the dorm might not be safe for you anymore."
Aria shivered.
Laughter distracted her from whatever Daphne said next. Two Hogwarts students ran by Aria, ruffling her dress, but neither of them were dressed for the Yule Ball. The bottom of their uniform robes twirled about their ankles as they came to a stop in the middle of the open entry way, snow coming down.
"Look, Tom!" the girl cried. "It's snowing!"
"Only you could get excited about snow," the boy said with a laugh. "It's Scotland. It snows all the time up here."
"Yes, but this is a particular romantic snow," the girl stated with a sly grin. She produced an object she had been hiding behind her back, standing on her toes to hold it above their heads. The boy glanced up, a confused smile on his lips.
"What's that?" he asked. The girl pouted, going back down from her toes.
"Don't tell me you don't know what mistletoe is," she whined.
"I know what it is, but I've never seen it before," Tom answered.
"Well, then, you know why I've got it," the girl stated, going back onto her toes and holding it back up above their heads.
"Do I?"
"Tom!"
"Merlin just kiss already!"
Aria spun around, just as surprised as Tom and the girl to see three other girls watching from a few feet away, playful smirks on their faces, one of them holding a camera. Her eyes widened as she recognized the glasses on one of them.
Myrtle.
"Go away!" the girl ordered them, unable to keep the laugh in.
"No," Myrtle answered, holding up the camera. "Just kiss already. We've only been waiting around for this since first year."
The girl turned back to Tom, a determined smirk on her face which matched the knowing and mischievous one on Tom's. She held up the mistletoe again and, as snow came settling down in their hair, Tom gently pulled the girl closer by the waist and pressed the gentlest, most precious kiss to her lips that Aria had ever witnessed. Her own belly fluttered witnessing and she nearly squealed alongside Myrtle and the two other girls.
"It's official!" one of them cried. "Tom Riddle and Minerva McGonagall together at last!"
"Aria!"
A cold hand on her arm startled Aria. Tom and Minerva and the three girls disappeared. Music from the orchestra floated to her ears and she realized she was staring out through the doors to the courtyard where it had begun to snow. The doorway, however, was empty now. There was no boy or girl or mistletoe. No friends cheering them on. Just snow and an empty threshold.
"Aria?" Now she recognized Daphne's voice. Her friend stared at her, concerned. "Are you all right?"
"I . . . I saw something," Aria said. "Almost like a vision but . . . from the past."
"Miss Greengrass? Miss Bourne? Are you two all right?"
Aria and Daphne turned to find Professor McGonagall approaching with Madam Pomfrey and Lady Longbottom. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey's dresses were vintage in style, velvet, and one color. Not as old fashioned as Lady Longbottom's, but it was clear that they were keeping to the more traditional styles of witches. Both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey wore small witch's hats that paired will with their dresses.
"We saw Professor Snape return with Draco Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey said. "Mr. Malfoy looked quite put out."
"Oh . . . no, Aria just wanted a little bit of air," Daphne said. "The punch was getting to her. I think the Weasley twins put gigglewater in one of the bowls."
"They would," McGonagall muttered.
"I saw something," Aria admitted, looking back at the doors. She stared at the empty space for a moment before turning back to her professor. For a split second she could imagine the Transfiguration professor as that young teen laughing like there was no tomorrow. If she looked hard enough, she could see the shadows of youth in Lady Longbottom and Madam Pomfrey as they cheered on their friends to kiss under the mistletoe.
"Another vision?" McGonagall questioned.
"What do you mean by 'another'?" Lady Longbottom asked.
"I . . . don't know," Aria said. "It . . . it seemed to be from the past? It was beautiful, Professor! You and Tom Riddle stood right there in the falling snow and kissed under the mistletoe and Moaning Myrtle got a picture!"
Madam Pomfrey gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. Lady Longbottom made a noise of shock. Professor McGonagall merely raised an eyebrow at Aria, making her feel like a little first year.
"I think perhaps you must've consumed too much gigglewater," McGonagall finally said. "What a notion, Tom Riddle and I kissing. We were partners one year in potions under Professor Slughorn. After that we never spoke again." She shook her head. "Would you like Madam Pomfrey to look you over?"
That could not be right. Something, seeping into her bones from the very magical fabric of Hogwarts, told her that that was not right. McGonagall had kissed Tom Riddle when they were teenagers. The same Tom Riddle whose diary had made Draco open the Chamber of Secrets in second year. The same Tom Riddle who went on to make that horrendously dark object that landed Abraxas Malfoy in prison. Yet, Professor McGonagall acted like it had never happened! It was such a beautiful and tender kiss; Aria could practically feel the love through the decades.
"Come on, Aria," Daphne said. "Let's get you some water. Untainted." She ushered Aria away from the ladies, back into the Great Hall.
"What was that?" Daphne demanded.
"I don't know!" Aria cried. "That's never happened before, and I know what I saw must be from the past. It was so real! They ran past me and ruffled my skirt and everything!"
Daphne shook her head.
"Well, I don't think it's something you need to be worrying about right now," her friend declared. "We're at a ball. You can . . . think about your weird visions and magical powers tomorrow."
Huffing, Aria reluctantly agreed and drank some water before finding Nikola and going back onto the dance floor. The orchestra had begun to intersperse more modern music for the students in their musical lineup, and the students were taking advantage by dancing away on the dance floor with more modern dance moves, much like their Muggle counterparts.
Eventually her attention was caught by the one person who had yet to take her out on the dance floor. Percy Weasley stood off the side of one of the tables, looking deeply uncomfortable between Oliver and Mr. Crouch as the latter two talked.
Oliver was so clueless, Aria thought. She had gotten a terrible letter from Prudence about Oliver's transgressions and she remained unimpressed that Oliver would think such things about Percy.
Deciding a rescue mission was needed she hurried over to them, interrupting whatever it was Mr. Crouch was saying about Quidditch and international relations by throwing her arms around Percy's waist.
"Percy!" she whined. "You haven't taken me for a dance, and you promised!"
He had done no such thing, and only Oliver seemed to know that by the glare he was leveling Aria. Aria gave him an innocent look from where she had planted herself against Percy's chest like an octopus.
Or an annoying little sister.
"I did, didn't I?" Percy replied. Aria could feel some tension leave him. "Well, I can't keep you waiting now, can I?"
"Shall we have a dance afterwards too?" Oliver asked Aria.
"No," she said. "I'm still mad at you."
Percy threw his head back, laughing, even as Oliver choked on his own indignation.
"What? Why're you mad at me?"
"You hurt Percy's feelings!"
"Oh, don't tell me Prudence wrote to you!"
"Why? Afraid of what she said?" Aria stuck her tongue out at Oliver before dragging Percy away to the dance floor where a slower couples dance was being played.
"Thanks for the rescue," Percy said as they spun slowly across the floor. "I thought I would be stuck there forever."
"Yeah, you looked ready to off yourself."
"Mr. Crouch is tedious on good days. He's currently hit the insufferable mark what with how well the Yule Ball has been pulled off."
"Hm. Thanks for the letter you sent. I really appreciated your encouragement after . . . the whole thing."
Percy smiled at her.
"Think nothing of it," he said. "Quite frankly it was good to have something else to discuss at the ministry besides Crouch's incompetence and the ICW investigation. My grandfather had quite a few choice words when he passed Lord Malfoy in the hallway and I was privileged enough to hear them."
"Your grandfather?" The Weasleys didn't talk about their grandparents much. She knew that they got Christmas gifts, especially after Percy had met them during is ICW internship, but there had been a falling out. Neither Ron or Ginny knew much about what had led to it, and Aria wasn't sure she believed half of what the twins said about the subject.
"He's over there with my grandmother," Percy said, spinning Aria so she could see the older couple speaking with Ginny and the twins. Ron was off fetching punch for Padma who was sitting nearby. "Lord Septimus and Lady Cedrella Weasley. Lord Weasley is on the ICW representatives for Britain along with Lord Prince who is . . ." he peered around the room. "Ah, there is he, holding court with some of the French."
"I hear Lord Prince is a potioneer," Aria said.
"He's one of the best so I've read," Percy agreed. "Honestly, if I knew him better, I would introduce you, but I only have a vague acquaintance with him." He perked up though. "I could introduce you to my grandparents though!" Immediately he spun her across the room towards his siblings and grandparents.
"Percy!" Lady Weasley greeted. Aria could not help but stare in awe at the woman. While Lady Malfoy was beautiful, Lady Weasley was truly timeless!
"Lady Weasley," Percy greeted. The woman raised an eyebrow. "Apologies. Grandmother. May I introduce you to a friend of all of us Weasleys, Aria Bourne? Aria, my grandmother, Lady Cedrella Weasley."
"My dear, it is good to finally meet you," Lady Weasley said, shaking Aria's hand warmly. "Septimus first told me about you after that horrible girl revealed your blood status to Durmstrang and Headmaster Dumbledore made you move tables. Quite shocking and uncalled for."
"Thanks, Lady Weasley," Aria said.
"And my grandfather," Percy continued, "Lord Septimus Weasley."
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you," Septimus said. "Percival has had only good things to say about you, especially with the newspapers running amok like they are."
"Oh, dear, you enjoyed their treatment of Abraxas," Cedrella admonished.
"I did, but it's the principal of the thing. Newspapers need to be more professional!"
"Perhaps you can do something about it, Grand—Lord Weasley," Ginny said, "Rita Skeeter's been banned from school grounds."
"Has she now? Interesting." Cedrella gave her husband an indulgent look, wrapping her arm around his with a loving grin spreading across her lips.
The orchestra began a new song. Cedrella tugged gently on Septimus' arm.
"The Witch's Heart," she said. "The last song of the evening. I insist on another dance."
"I am not as young as I once was, woman."
"Tosh. You're not getting out of this dance, Septimus Weasley." Cedrella smiled at her grandchildren and Aria and pulled her husband onto the dance floor.
"Witch's Heart is the traditional last song of the evening at things like this," George told Aria as they watched the older couple leave. "A nice little signal to finish your dancing and go home."
"Aria." They all turned to see Draco standing there, shoulders back, head held high. "Would you like to have this last dance with me?" He held out his hand.
"Draco . . ." Aria sighed. "Daphne and Theo took me outside." Ginny made some kind of noise that may have been an excited squeal, "but we overheard you and Professor Snape. Theo explained—,"
"Then you know that this may be the last chance to dance together," Draco interrupted, voice steady, hand unwavering.
"This isn't a game, Malfoy," Percy stated.
"We know," Draco answered.
Aria patted Percy's arm, pressing her forehead against his shoulder for several seconds before reaching out and taking Draco's hand.
The Witch's Heart was a slow song, meant to bring down the energy of a ball and bring close couples who wanted one last romantic dance. Usually, other attendees to a ball were too tired to pay attention to who was on the dance floor for the last dance. Yet as Draco led Aria through the dance, she became aware of people's eyes on them. She did her best not to look around, to keep her own gaze as steady as Draco's. His gray eyes were particularly handsome in the torchlight of the Yule Ball, and she could not help but think that the dark dress robes he wore fit him far too well.
They dance silently. Several times Aria thought of speaking, but the words never came. This was a moment not to be broken by speaking, and besides, what could she really say? Something was coming. A storm of some kind. It was hurtling towards all of them, and no one knew when it would come or how terrible it would be. All they could do was brace themselves as best as they could and be brave.
Coming to a stop in the middle of the dance floor Draco drew in a large breath.
"I'm going to act like a complete Gryffindor," he whispered, hands coming to gently cradle her face. He kissed her.
It was both gentle and desperate. A testament to every emotion he and she felt in the moment. Aria leaned into the kiss, her own hands rising to cradle Draco's face as well.
Yes, Aria thought as the world around them faded away to nothing. From now on, every move forward would have to be an act of courage.