"Harry!" Edmund called out for his cousin in the bustling hallway and reached out to grab the boy's arm. Students waved around them as they came to a halt, Edmund glanced at Ron who just looked away and stood there with them. A few students managed to bump into Ron, but walked around Edmund and Harry.
"Edmund, we have potions now, how many times have I told you?" Harry sighed. Edmund had a bad habit of forgetting his schedule, most would think. It was actually just a way to start a conversation with people, to make it less awkward. He liked to talk to people.
"It's about our clothes for the ball this evening." Edmund said quietly and pulled Harry a bit closer to him. "You know our tailor right, the old one?" He questioned and ignored how Ron straightened his posture. He hadn't seen a stormy glare of the ginger in a while, he realised. "Did he add something to your costume, like some cloth around the shoulders?"
Harry frowned, "No," He answered, "Did he add something to yours?"
Edmund just held out a paper to Harry. It must have been some sight to see him in the hallway. His lip was still busted from Roger Davies punching him the day before and it was still healing. He has to go to Madam Pomfrey to close the busted lip before the yule ball and then the pink scar under his eye, the one that was a trophy for surviving the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. His clothes were a mess too, he had slept for too long and had to hurry to get to class. That very morning at breakfast, Susan had stopped him and redo his tie before fixing his collar.
"He seriously added that?" Harry questioned after he had read the paper that Edmund had handed him, "I thought you asked for something muggle?" Edmund nodded, and Harry just blinked a few times. "That blood status might just do wonders for you, Ed. Just not for people like me," He stopped for a few seconds, "Or Hermione." Harry was gauging his reaction, Edmund realised.
He felt the familiar ache in his heart but he just shrugged it away, "That's why I wanted to wear something muggle," He plucked the paper from Harry's hand, "Instead, he's making me look like my status and some aristocrat." Edmund complained and the students were scattering from the halls.
The three of them walked over to their class and Edmund let out a breath as he sat back, "You are technically an aristocrat, if you know." Ron said quietly before moving over to his seat. Edmund was slightly surprised that Ron was speaking to him, the evening before class began again, Edmund was talking with Susan and Cedric by the fire about how he hadn't expected that Roger would punch him, and that he had expected that Ron would do so first.
Edmund gave Ron an amused smile before sitting near the back with Susan and Neville. Susan gave him a little confused look before settling her unamused gaze back on Draco, who was joking with his housemates. "I thought we didn't like Ron." Susan whispered, narrowing her eyes at the back of the ginger's head. She had started to have a big dislike towards him.
"He hasn't been on anyone's nerves lately." Edmund found himself surprised how he had slightly defended Ron. Susan raised an eyebrow as she glanced back at Edmund and just nodded, it was subtle, like she didn't want to admit that Ron hadn't been annoying anyone.
The lesson started and his uncle had taken the attention of most students in the classroom. His uncle was a great potioneer and instructor, but it was obvious that he didn't enjoy being a potions teacher and it showed in his tone and the energy to give the class.
"Do I bore you, Mr. Lupin-Black?" Professor Snape questioned as he stood in front of Edmund. Edmund looked up from the picture in his wallet and swallowed nervously. His uncle had called him out multiple times but that was from across the class, "Are you reading under the table?" The man now stood right in front of him, he looked like he wasn't in a playing mood.
Edmund pursed his lips and showed the picture in his wallet from out under the table. It was subtle, like everything was with his uncle but the corners of his sneer had softened and his throat bobbed a bit at the sight of the picture. "Don't do it in my class anymore, Mr. Lupin-Black." Severus said and turned around.
Some students were sharing looks of confusion considering if they would do anything like that in Snape's class they would have had detention for a whole week. Edmund just nodded and put his wallet away in his pocket. There were days where he could only imagine his mother in the memories or in the pictures that were handed down to him, seeing as they weren't far from him. A vial of a memory hung around his neck, close to his heart. There was a picture of her in his wallet along with the rest of the people he loves.
He doesn't remember the rest of it though, her smell. Uncle Remus would describe it like the smell of spring, a time where change happened. He can't even remember her touch, except for the way she'd always click her tongue at him when his hair would be in front of his eyes. He'd hear the affectionate tease and then the memory stops.
Edmund took in a sharp breath as he was surprised out of his thoughts when Susan pinched his side, she gave him a comforting smile. The two Hufflepuffs looked at each other and they had an understanding that they would be there for one another, always.
Susan had always known things about him because she had a way of making him feel comforted and not judged. She knew about his dead mother, a long time before everyone learned about it at the tournament when his insecurities about his mother's death were showcased. It was Cedric and Susan who would constantly drop by when he wouldn't leave the infirmary.
The three of them weren't so different from one another, they all had to mourn their own deaths in the family. Fading memories was a big topic amongst them, they were all young when they lost someone. Edmund just had the luck that his mother's friends had been around to take care of him and made sure that he would never forget her.
Susan and Cedric didn't have that, Susan's mother never talked of her brother and his little family of three and how Cedric's dad remained cryptic about the loss of his mother, simply not wanting to revisit it.
Edmund hadn't been able to focus on his uncle's lesson anymore as he just stared out in front of him. The only thing that made the hairs on his skin jump up was the sudden draft of the opening door, class was over and everyone was leaving except Padma and Susan. "Go ahead Miss Bones, Miss Patil." Professor Snape said in front of the class. "Mr. Lupin-Black will be a bit later to your next class."
The door closed and Edmund's chair scraped harshly against the ground when Edmund moved back and stood up. He shouldered his bag and walked over to the front of the class, where his Uncle stood overlooking his personal potion-making set up. "Theseus." The man said when Edmund leant against the table.
"Yes," He said quietly. He felt guilty for never paying attention in his Uncle's class. The professor turned around to face him. There was a bigger height difference with every month that passed. Edmund noticed it and the revelation just made him more upset because it made him realise that he wasn't that kid anymore. Though on days such as these he felt like he was that small kid again, sitting on the side of the bed rambling about the pillow fort he had made with his Uncle Lupus, and how cool it is that Uncle Lupus is staying for a longer while than just a week.
That kid didn't know that it was going to be a permanent situation.
"The anniversary of your mother is approaching soon." His uncle stated. "You shouldn't let it affect your performance, in the class or in the tournament." The way his uncle had said it so casually made Edmund flinch and swallow away the lump in his throat.
He couldn't help but let the defensive feelings swell in his chest. His uncle might not have meant to say it in such a cold manner, but it was harsh enough to make Edmund ignore the reasoning. "How can I not let it affect me?" Edmund said quietly. "It is all that I can think about, especially around this time." It was a few days until her anniversary of her death, three days after the Yule Ball.
"You mourn, and you continue." Severus said.
"Why can't I keep mourning?"
"You're going to wallow in your mourning and you won't get out of it for a long time, like usual Theseus." His uncle stated. "You shouldn't allow it." The teacher laid a hand on his shoulder and Edmund was that little boy again, the ripe age of six. Standing in front of the bed as his house elf was ordered to announce the death of Amanda Potter, the only thing that made a sound was the crack apparition made and the crying of a boy who couldn't understand why mom wouldn't hear about his newest version of the pillow fort.
His uncle Severus was the only person who didn't cry that day, he only dropped a hand on Edmund's shoulder and squeezed it softly. He was hiding behind a mask to not show the agony of losing his only friend who he had found comfort in for all of the years he had met her.
Edmund took in a sharp breath, "We all mourn differently, uncle." He said sharply before rushing out of the room, bumping into the seventh-year students. He didn't glance back as the Ravenclaw greeted him in a confused state. Edmund made his way up the hidden stairs as he gripped onto the steel railing.
"Edmund?" A voice called out. He looked up to see Susan and Padma stand facing one another on the secluded staircase that they use to get to their class faster. Padma looked concerned as she looked down at the Hufflepuff boy. Edmund let out a staggering breath as Padma walked down the steps to give him a quick hug. "Your tie is too tight." She muttered softly before loosening it a bit. "Better?"
He nodded faintly.
"It's that time of the year, isn't it?" Susan had a knack for keeping up and observing different times that people act out of character. Edmund glanced at Susan and nodded. The Hufflepuff girl nodded back at him, "Let's just get through the day, it's the last hour before we get time off to get dressed for the ball."
"That's right." Padma hummed, "Remind me that I need to subtly remind Carmichael that he has to come with me to the ball." She hummed happily as she locked her arms with Edmund, they walked up the stairs.
They knew him well. Edmund liked normalency whenever he felt down or when he was just in a bad mood. Some days they just walk with him to their next class and talk about their day, what they read in the newspaper or just start a conversation with him.
"Do it subtly, yeah?" Edmund cracked a small smile and Padma raised her eyebrows at him. She looked like she was about to protest but Susan snorted and agreed with him, she pointedly looked at Padma.
Edmund laughed softly when Padma just smiled and shrugged. They went over to their next class and Professor McGonagall was listing names from the list to see if everyone was present in her class. Some students from the older year hadn't come to class to prepare for the yule ball. "-Granger Hermione?"
He looked over to the spot where she had moved to after their falling out and had found it empty. He pursed his lips and looked back at the books in front of him. They were fine, just not okay.
"You're doing it again." Susan nudged him and he looked up at his best friend. "Those puppy eyes, when did you talk to her?" She asked, instantly knowing that something had changed, again.
"In the library, she had the book that I needed for the Tournament, I suppose.."
"What changed, aren't you angry at her anymore?" She further questioned him.
"I don't know how to feel at all lately, Susan." He said quietly and looked at Professor McGonagall as she started to introduce the new chapter. After this class, they were all permitted to leave and have the rest of the day to prepare for the Yule Ball.
—
"You are looking quite dashing." Fleur said with a small smile. She immediately latched onto his arm that he had offered to her. Edmund smiled at her compliment, "You're looking like a prince." She said and pressed a soft kiss on his jaw, grinning as she boldly left behind a red lips stain.
Edmund suppressed the shudder that went up his back when he felt the satin shawl and gloves rest on his nape. He wrapped a hand around her waist and he decided that he liked the feeling of satin under his fingers. "You're looking like quite the Princess, Fleur." He whispered back at her.
"I know." She smiled and adjusted the red sash that was draped over his shoulder. "Your father must be proud that you wear the house Black on you." She said quietly as she adjusted the amulet keeping it all in place.
"Some days I am." He answered quietly. "Most days I forget that I am a Black." He said and smiled as Colin walked into the room. "Here to take a picture, Colin?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"Can I?" Colin held up the camera that will always be too big for his body and Fleur smiled, nodding at the small Gryffindor.
"Most are intimidated of you, Edmund." Fleur said as she leaned against him, posing for a picture as Colin held up the camera. "They walk out of your way and not even the house of Snakes talk badly about you." She said and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Why is that?"
"They're not intimidated by me." Edmund shook his head. "I like to think that they are all just quite fond of me." He said quietly and the door opened. He smiled at his cousin and let go of Fleur to shake Harry's hand.
"Now I am wondering how you managed to get Susan, out of all people, to say yes to you." Edmund blinked a few times and looked at the Hufflepuff girl. "You're not doing this to me to spite me, right?" He questioned.
Susan just gave him a small cryptic smile. "After the day that you had? No, besides, our boy here was very desperate, right Harry?" Susan laughed softly and Harry rolled his eyes. He was used to the slight hazing from Edmund and Susan when the two of them were together.
Edmund just shook his head and stood next to Harry while Susan and Fleur started to compliment each other's dress. "I thought you were going to take Padma's sister." He whispered.
"Someone already asked her, a Beauxbatons student, apparently." Harry whispered back. "Susan walked past and said that I had to ask her, then I asked and she kind of laughed at me before nodding and accepting that she'll come with me."
Edmund patted Harry's back. "At least you have a date, when did you ask her?" He asked.
"Right before coming inside," Harry blushed, "She saw me get rejected, stand outside without a date and then did that." Edmund bit his knuckles before chuckling softly.
"Harry, no way." Edmund laughed softly. His smile faltered when Edmund saw the red uniform of the Bulgarian appear behind the opening door and a hand shot through Edmund's arm, holding onto him. "Hermione." He breathed out softly as he watched her happily hold onto Krum's hand as he helped her down the stairs.
Edmund looked at her and immediately noticed that her teeth had changed, her smile had been enchanting before but this time it just made him clench his jaw and look the other way. "Hermione!" Harry called out with a smile, "I thought you weren't going to come to the Yule Ball? Especially after that nasty fall."
Edmund frowned and he glanced at Fleur as the girl had squeezed his arm. The French girl looked at him with her eyebrow raised and Edmund cleared his throat. He turned around and held a hand out for her as Professor McGonagall walked into the room and requested their attention to get ready to open the dance.
They all got in line with Krum in front, he was proud and was puffing his chest as he offered to go up front. Hermione had blushed bashfully but didn't argue. Edmund knew that she didn't like to be the centre of attention but he also knew that she couldn't say no to someone like Krum, she would consider it impolite to argue with her date.
Edmund clenched his jaw as he was put in the back of the line with Fleur. Susan looked back at him and made a face as she immediately saw what he was feeling. He was jealous. "Stop glaring like that, Ed." She scolded. "You're going to turn into Medusa."
Edmund shook his head, "Medusa did nothing wrong, Susan." He countered and clenched his jaw when they all started to follow Professor McGonagall. Krum and Hermione walked with a light pace, Krum made sure to parade her around, while Harry waved around, basking in the applause and Susan was complimenting everyone's dress whenever she passed a girl.
Edmund looked around the Great Hall with a small smile, he knew that the room had potential for events such as these. Long tables disappeared and round ones were placed instead. At the top of the hall, the judges sat.
Edmund felt Fleur softly squeeze his arm as he looked up to see Madame Maxime look at the two of them with narrowed eyes, applauding politely though. Edmund let Fleur go with a kiss pressed against her hand as he went over to the empty seat besides Dumbledore. "Professor." He greeted the man.
"Good evening, Mr. Lupin-Black." Dumbledore greeted him, "You are looking rather dashing, representing your family's house colours like that." The wizard said and then hummed, "On some days, your actions speak of a Ravenclaw, boy."
Edmund gave the man a sheepish smile, "What do you mean by that, professor?"
"Do you often tend to agitate the competition's headmistress like that?" Dumbledore questioned, his eyes glinting in amusement. "I suppose you learned that from me." He laughed softly, "I knew that I shouldn't have let you help me reply to the ministry's mail like that as a kid."
"To be fair, sir." Edmund grinned, "The questions the ministry was asking were all so obvious that even I knew the answer to it." He could vividly remember the time he had spent under Dumbledore's wing when Edmund had to stay at the castle because of his uncle's monthly transformation, the time spent was mostly wizard chess and replying to mail. Occasionally helping McGonagall hand out a few papers the muggle way, just for fun.
Edmund was so focused on his conversation with Dumbledore that he hadn't noticed Hermione sit down next to him. He managed to hide his surprise and he finally glanced in her direction. "So, Mr. Lupin-Black." Ludo called out from a few seats around the table.
"I've been quite surprised by your performance so far." Ludo smiled, "I had expected far worse." Harry snorted as he choked on his drink from Dumbledore's other side. Susan covered her mouth with a napkin, having nearly spit out her drink.
"Excuse me?" It wasn't Edmund who had spoken up from the backhanded compliment that was given. It was Hermione. "He had received the highest score from every judge, including the harsh judges." Her eyes lingered on the Bulgarian headmaster. "I'd say that is quite impressive."
"I didn't mean it like that deary." Ludo said as he leaned forward to take a sip of his wine. "I meant it like, he's a charming boy, a Hufflepuff. Normally people like him don't perform so well in events such as these."
Edmund just put a hand on Hermione's arm as the girl wanted to speak up for him again. "It's fine, Hermione." He whispered and looked over at Bagman. "I was quite surprised with you as well, sir." Edmund said, "That this event was even allowed to happen, especially after the disaster of what could be called the Quidditch World Cup." Edmund leaned over to look at the Bulgarian champion, "Krum, you played good back then. How long have you been training for?"
Edmund managed to pass on the word to Krum who hadn't actively tried to give Edmund backhanded compliments and the Bulgarian talked shortly over the menu card where he had been focusing on before he got called out to speak about his quidditch experience. It was clear that the seeker didn't like to talk at all, so his headmaster had bashfully clapped his shoulder and continued to speak for him. Talking about the rigorous training at the quidditch field in Bulgaria.
Soon after they had all eaten their dinner, Dumbledore had stood up and waved his hands, making the tables sit along the walls and leaving the floor open for the students. At first, the instruments raised into the air and then started playing the waltz.
Edmund had taken the initiative first and held a hand out for Fleur, "Voulez-vous m'accorder cette danse?" She placed her hand on top of his and accepted his offer to dance. Edmund grinned at her, trying to ignore the way Hermione looked at him in the corner of his eyes.
The two of them walked in perfect pace up on the dance floor and they fell into the waltz dance position. A hand out, wrapped together and a hand out on her waist, while her other hand was out on his shoulder. She wasn't shy with inching it up to his neck.
"I'd say that you went against your goal." She said, quietly. The champions had followed the two of them promptly and then after them, the girls who were itching to dance pulled their date up on the dance floor.
"What do you mean?" Edmund asked quietly. He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up before gently placing her down. "What goal?"
"Your goal in making Hermione jealous." She whispered and pinched his shoulder when his head instinctively turned around to catch a glimpse at Hermione and Viktor. "Don't look." She said, "I thought you were done with her." Fleur said.
"I-" He started and fell quiet, "I don't know, Fleur." He whispered. "I genuinely don't know." He raised a hand and twirled her around, a hand on her waist. "I am confused by everything, I've been having a rough time lately." Between his mother making an appearance at his first task and the anniversary coming around, he seriously didn't know how or what to feel.
"I know." Fleur said as she faced him again. "The only reason you're flirting back with me, is because you're confused and convinced that you don't have a chance to be with Hermione anymore." She whispered and pressed a hand up against his cheek. "It's okay to be confused."
"It's unfair to you." Edmund whispered back.
Fleur just smiled at him and toyed with the red sash around his shoulder. "We have potential, I'll admit." Her smile faltered. "But there are so many factors to say that we shouldn't be a thing. I am fine with being the person whom you occasionally flirt with."
"Still, it's unfair."
"I admit, sometimes I feel sad that after I flirt with you, that you look out for Hermione, to see if you hurt her feelings or not." She said, "But you're also the first person who I could actually talk with. I chose you to be my date because you don't go stumbling over your own two feet when you glance at me." She giggled as the two of them glanced over Roger Davies who was dancing with Katie Bell. "I chose you as my date to the Yule Ball because you aren't affected by my veela charms simply because you're too invested in Hermione."
Edmund looked at the floor in shame after he had twirled her around again. "I'm so sorry." He said quietly. "Still, it isn't fair."
"Edmund." Fleur said and he lifted his head to look at her. "There was no question of me being the other woman. That'd be insane." Edmund laughed softly, "We don't work, I have a whole life ahead of me, I'm just seventeen."
"Seventeen?" Edmund blinked and remembered that the chosen champions by the goblet were all seventeen. Except for apprentices like him, who could be the age of fifteen.
She nodded, "Yeah." Her face turned serious as she looked up at him. "Tell me you're seventeen too."
"I'm fifteen." Her jaw dropped.
"No way." She pinched his shoulder. "No guy this tall can be fifteen." She stated and fell quiet when he didn't reply. "Mon dieu." She muttered, "Let's go sit down." She said and dragged him off of the dancefloor.
The two of them sat down at the table and she swiftly grabbed a napkin before rubbing off the lipstick from his jaw. "Je ne reviens pas."
"Better believe it." He snorted and they stood up when Fleur was approached by a friend of hers.
She blinked a few times at her friend "We'll talk some other time, Edmund." She said, before leaving with her friend in a hurry. A girl friend of hers had been dumped by some guy and Fleur will always be there for her.
Edmund let out a breath as he looked over at his uncle who was one of the chaperone's that evening. The boy stood up and walked over, the short moment of disgust flashed in his uncle's eyes when he saw the family shield of the House of Black, pinned to Edmund's chest.
He had realised that he had reacted too harshly to his uncle when he was changing into his formal clothes. "Fleur couldn't believe that I was fifteen, uncle." Edmund said quietly, "She then ran because a friend was crying."
"It's hard to believe that you're fifteen myself, at times." Uncle Severus said and glanced at him. "You were just a baby when I first held you in my arms." The man said, "You look more and more like your mother everyday."
"That is easy to say when you don't want to see my father on my face." Edmund said quietly and stood up as Susan motioned over to him that he had to dance with her. A hand shot out to grab his wrist before he could leave his uncle on his own.
"I apologise." The man said shortly. "I did not mean to hurt you." He said. "I am reflecting my loss onto yours. I lost a friend, but you lost a mother."
Edmund nodded solemnly at his uncle before walking over to Susan. He immediately took the waltz form with Susan and danced with her. "What was that all about?" Susan asked, concerned as she glanced back at the potions teacher.
"He's my uncle." Edmund said quietly. "My mother was his best friend."
"I know he's your uncle." Susan said and Edmund snapped his head to look at her. She blushed and realised that Edmund had never told her. Ashamed, she looked away but Edmund followed her line of sight and ended up on Draco, who was looking at them.
"Draco told you." Edmund stated quietly. "Accidental or on purpose?"
"I asked him." Susan said, jumping to Draco's defence. "I noticed how you stay behind after some classes. You know your way around in the dungeons and Draco mentioned how Snape would drop you off at their house when you were kids."
Edmund gave her a small smile. "You do know everything, don't you."
Susan shook her head, "I don't know why you always act like this around Christmas." She said and gave him a small smile. "That's one thing I don't know."
"It's the anniversary of my mother's death tomorrow." Edmund said quietly. "We argue when we miss her."
"Do you remind him of her?" Susan asked. She had mentioned how her father would talk about his sister, about how Susan reminded him of his late sister.
"He says so." Edmund said quietly. "But I don't think so, I look in the mirror and see my father."
"It's because you haven't been smiling so much anymore." Edmund managed to give her a weak smile. "Not that kind of smile, an actual one, where you look like you're enjoying yourself." Susan stated, "I saw pictures of your parents, and you look the most like her when you smile."
Edmund shook his head and picked her off of the ground and set her down again. It must have been some scene to watch, to watch every boy pick up their partner at the same time and set them down, just to repeat the dance all over again.
"Edmund." She said quietly. "I know that you're thinking about Hermione again, but I'm not your keeper, but I am your friend." She said. "I trust you."
He gave her a small smile and nodded, "You're like a sister to me, Susan." He said quietly and the two continued to dance. He snorted, "Fleur ditched me as soon as she found out I am fifteen, and because a friend was crying."
"She didn't know?" Susan snorted and shook her head. "It was mentioned in the school papers. She doesn't run from you when you like Hermione but she runs when she learns that you are fifteen." Susan laughed into Edmund's shoulder. They continued their back and forth until they were one of the last people dancing in the Great Hall.
"What is going on between you and Draco?" Edmund asked quietly as they were dancing, no longer the waltz but just some shuffling.
"Nothing."
"Nothing serious?" Edmund raised an eyebrow and turned her, so that she'd see him watching her from across the room. "Or just nothing."
"Nothing serious." She said quietly. "It won't ever be anything serious, I'm not a Slytherin."
"But you are a pureblood." Edmund said, "That is what he prefers to be around with."
"I know." Susan hummed, "I can see Pansy glaring over his shoulder."
Edmund just narrowed his eyes at the two Slytherin's. "You know, I can give you the speech you give me about Hermione, right now. But I won't." He said and he watched as Draco and Pansy left and headed in the direction of their dormitory. "Let me show you something." He hummed and he grabbed Susan's hand before following them outside before Edmund stopped and reached for a bush, he pulled out a bottle of alcohol. "Father sent me this." He hummed and opened the bottle.
"Is that wine?" Susan questioned, surprised.
"He said to enjoy it with a friend, like he did at his formal events." Edmund opened the bottle and took a sip. "He told me that I have the option to continue the tradition or not, and I am going to continue the tradition."
"Fuck it." Susan whispered and took another swig. She coughed softly, "That is not wine." She stated. The two of them stayed outside for another while until the music had changed to something slower.
"Edmund!" She called out, "I've always wanted to slow dance, please! Potter can't dance!" She said and grabbed his hand, and dragged him back into the Great Hall.
The two of them dance again, but Edmund just jokingly danced with her before turning serious and giving her the dance she wanted. "I wasn't going to ask you to the dance, Susan." He whispered. "I wanted for you to have someone you liked."
"He just doesn't like Hufflepuffs." She whispered.
"Only us though." Edmund countered.
"He only likes you in public, Edmund." She muttered, "He only sends me letters to meet him in one of the towers, and when we do, I have to be a secret." She whispered. "I am just his friend, Edmund. Imagine if I had actually kissed him back then."
"You don't deserve secrecy." Edmund pressed a kiss against her forehead. "If I liked you, I would have paraded you around."
"Thank you but that is just weird to think about." Shelaughed and leaned her head against his shoulder.
At the sudden sound of arguing that disrupted their dancing, Susan turned them around on her heel and Edmund yelped as they were suddenly looking over at Hermione and Ron arguing. The moment Susan hears an argument, she will snap her head to turn around and watch.
"Oh what the fuck?" Edmund whispered under his breath.
"Yeah, agreed." Susan nodded, "What the fuck."
"What is up with you?" They heard Hermione question Ron and the ginger just went ahead with accusing her of selling secrets to the enemy. Hermione then began listing off Ron's behaviour ever since Krum arrived at the school and how he hadn't treated her like his friend for over the course of the whole school year.
"I didn't know he was treating her like that." Edmund said quietly.
"That's because you walk away when Ron comes to sit with you guys." Susan whispered back and slapped his shoulder to listen. "Go." She said to him, "You're just aching to defend her." Before Edmund managed to walk over to them, Susan had caught him by the wrist. "Ron and Lavender broke up, like an hour ago, you should know."
Edmund nodded at Susan before heading over to stand by Hermione's side. "-hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cosy little library sessions-"
"Stop it, Ron." Edmund said sharply. "You're blaming her for something she hadn't done." He said and looked at Harry with a frown. "Your best friend is berating your other best friend about being on a date with Krum to the ball. Why haven't you taken him away after Lavender?"
Ron shot up and grabbed Edmund by his collar. "Don't you dare talk about Lavender, you pureblooded scum." Edmund bit the inside of his cheek as he was put in this position once again. His busted lip had just been healed by the magical salve and now Ron was threatening to put a fist up against his teeth.
"Let go, Ron." Edmund reached up for Ron's wrist and squeezed it tightly. The ginger dropped the collar hotly before Harry muttered apologies before dragging Ron away.
"Why don't you go and find Vicky, maybe he'll defend you like little Eddy did." Ron sneered at Hermione before Harry had dragged him off and away from them.
Edmund cringed and turned to Hermione, "Eddy?" He wondered and scowled. She had already sat down on a chair and was crying softly. With a frown, he knelt in front of her. There was no comparing the feelings of Hermione at the beginning of the evening and to now, at first she had made him speechless, despite Fleur being in the same room to now, crying because Ron had been just so awful towards her.
He had kept his distance from her, because he did not know what he would do if she would have been right in front of him. He wouldn't have known what he would have told her in the heat of the moment in his anger. But because of his anger, he hadn't seen the signs of Ron's behaviour towards Hermione.
He regrets it, being so blind. She had been treated so badly that his heart was breaking for her. He thought it was bad when she was dancing happily with Krum, but now that he had heard the confrontation. He just ached for her to be happy again, like when she was dancing.
In his eyes, she deserves everything.
But there she sat, on a chair in a decorated room, crying about the awful things Ron had said to her, the accusations. Edmund knew then that he couldn't stand idle anymore because he was still her best friend, despite his feelings for her and their argument. He did not care that they were estranged from one another.
The moment he knelt in front of her, he was her friend. Memories that he had suppressed in his anger resurfaced as he can see them as kids again, starting their first year at Hogwarts. He wiped his hands on his pants before putting his hands over her knee, gaining her attention. "Come on." He whispered and stood up straight, he held his hand out to her. The nervous energy he always felt around her never disappeared as it sparked up his spine once again.
The girl looked at him and his stretched out arm, holding out his hand for her. "What?" She was confused, teary eyes looking out at him for an answer.
"Let's dance." He said and looked at her, she was surprised he was even speaking with her. "Let's dance, you like to dance, you've been dancing this whole night." He repeated.
The girl still looked surprised but nonetheless accepted his hand. She wiped her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled off of her seat. They were one of the last ones on the dance floor, their dates had already retired for the night and as soon as she touched his hand all the tiredness ebbed away, his feet didn't ache anymore and the energy buzzed between them.
"I'm sorry that Ron ruined your evening." He whispered as he slowly danced with Hermione. He looked over her shoulder and she leant her head against his chest. In the courage he had gotten from the drink his father sent him, he gently guided her head to look up at him with a few fingers. "I hope your evening gets better, as it isn't over yet."
Hermione had looked up at him with autumn in her eyes. The ache of guilt and regret settled in his heart, he should have done more for her. "You should know that my feelings have never changed for you." he said quietly. "Even now after our falling out I find myself looking out for you."
She blinked at him and he continued.
"I know that your heart isn't settled on mine," He let out a breath, "I don't see you like a sister, Hermione. You're not what Susan is to me." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he spoke about his feelings for her. "If I had anything more to drink, I would have been on my knees for you, begging that you would spare a glance and that you would see me the way that I see you." He pulled her close to him again and she rested her head on his shoulder. Edmund looked around to see his uncle in the corner, still, brooding. Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, looking over, whispering to one another. "But you told me that you don't like being in such a spot, with everyone watching." He cracked a smile, she didn't see.
"I think if I would get on my knees in front of you, for you. I would put you on the spot." He said with a weak teasing smile. "In my eyes, nobody deserves you." He whispered, "And I don't deserve you either." He admitted. "I might just even love you, Hermione." He was quiet and he was afraid that Hermione didn't hear him, but by her muted gasp, he knew that she did. "I might be a bit desperate to want you to love me. But I want to show you unconditional love, Hermione."
"I just wish you'd let me." Whispered Edmund, in the corner of his eyes he caught the sight of red formal clothing and he clenched his jaw. His brief time with her was over.
Edmund leant down and he pressed a soft kiss against her cheek before whispering to her, "Remember Hermione, for as long as I am alive, you'll have someone who is proud of you. Good night, Hermione."
The girl looked at him and whispered, "Please, don't be a stranger again, Theseus, I don't think I can handle it." She whispered as he let go of her on the empty dance floor. No words could explain what he felt, so he didn't. He slid across the floor, right past Krum and avoided the mournful eyes of his mentors who had remained to oversee the last of the students of the ball.
A/N: Made a few edits! (02.03.2024)
-Argument between Snape and Edmund
-Conversation about mourning
and some grammar and scenes (no meanings changed)