Chapter 55:

Despite the magnificent colours of Malfoy's hair, his delightful awkwardness because of it and the blank stares following him everywhere, Theodore wasn't having a good night. Greengrass was preening at his side, smiling and giggling like she had won everything. She was an eyesore, red like a death flag, and he wanted nothing more than to end her. Alas, he always kept his promises and therefore had to honor the «IOU» he gave her in the past. And that meant not harming her before the next day.

"What's wrong, King?" She dared to gloat in his ear. "Feeling a little agitated to have such a beauty at your arm for the whole night?"

She put a hand up said arm, probably trying to guide him toward the dance floor, but Theo had enough: if he couldn't kill her then let him drink! He rid himself of her presence with a silent but disgusted sneer that left her miffed with a broken pride, and speed-walked to the buffet.

"Hey! Remember our deal!" He heard her call out in outrage.

The fierce glare that answered her said a lot about how much pain she would be in when the morning came.

"Don't push your luck." Warned Theo with a smile that was more teeth than joy. "You don't have any ace left."

Greengrass choked on her next words, trembling like a calf in front of the butcher. She didn't even dare fainting until he turned away. But as soon as he did? She dropped like a rag doll in a puddle of her own making.

Harry was having a great time dancing and eating pastries with Luna. She was such a blessing that she made him forget all about Malfoy, taking him into her own World with stories and anecdotes on everything they saw. The carvings, the ice, the ceiling, the people... Luna had so much to say about the little things that were there and yet imperceptible. Even the colors she was sporting had secrets to share! And though she had told him that he would understand these ones in due time, he was very happy to be assorted to her -he was literally wearing secrets! How cool was that!-. With her, he stepped in a new universe hidden within Reality and he loved every second of it.

Which is why, when she got into her head to free the fairies from the hegemony of the Christmas dicatorship, Harry didn't have the heart to deny her. Who cared that the others would have to do without the bright fleeting lights of fairies flying everywhere? Their night would maybe be a little less magical, but the Gryffindor didn't mind hogging all the fun with his moonlit friend.

Still, he couldn't forget about Theo. The way the later had talked about his date worried him quite a bit. The Slytherin had seemed very reluctant to come to the ball with whoever had asked him out. To the point that the young Gryffindor couldn't help but wonder why his friend had accepted at all. There must have been some extenuating circumstances he couldn't share... But Harry couldn't afford to care: he had to save Theo from spending his Christmas night in bad company.

"Luna?" he asked to the girl who was making weird wiggly arm movements and deep cavernous groans to a fairy representative, trying to convince them to follow her with their flocks.

"What's wrong, Harry?" She answered distractedly. "I'm attempting communication in Small-Fey-Tentacles right now, but it's harder than I thought. Apparently my Eldritch accent makes me hard to understand..."

"You mean that there are more than one Tentacles language...?"

"Of course! Tentacles is an Elder Tongue of the Fey-Folk, some even say that it's the origin of all languages! There are a lot of variants that popped up through the last thousands of years, like Latin, Creole and Japanese or Eldritch."

"Never mind..." Gave up the Griffindor boy, not wanting to open this can of worms for now. "Can I invite a friend to come with us?"

Luna and the fairy seemed to reach a consensus because they both beamed at him.

"With pleasure!" Agreed the girl in a twirl. "Since they are your friend, I'm sure they are someone worth knowing."

"Great! Thank you, Luna." Sighed Harry in relief. "I'll go get him right now. Do you need help to gather everyone?"

She lightly refused and sent him on his way. The young Potter stealthily left their little corner behind the biggest ice sculpture, while she took out some sort of strangely shaped guiding sparkler stick. He was quick to find Theo as the boy wasn't far nor hidden. He was indeed hovering near the Punch, looking tense and murderous. The crowd being distracted by a random girl in red that had fainted in the middle of the Great Hall -wasn't that Greengrass?-, Harry took Theo's hand into his own, the other boy somehow relaxing before even registering who had the gall to touch him.

"Are you okay, Theo?" He softly asked.

"I'm better now." Muttered the Slytherin with a small smile, closing his hand around Harry's fingers.

"Do you want to come with Luna and I? We're releasing the fairies in the Forbidden Forest..."

His grin widened.

AN: Hey, hey, remember when everyone wished for Theo to go to the ball with Harry and I answered he wouldn't but I had something planned for them...? It's comiiiing~! èué Next chapter in fact, if I remember well. I'll try to update again soon, promise!