Chapter Twenty Seven
Daphne, Pansy and Hermione headed towards The Three Broomsticks to get some lunch. Ron saw them, as he came out of Zonks Joke shop with several bags.
"Hey!" He called over, "Hermione!"
Hermione took a deep breath and turned towards him, "Hello Ronald."
Ron came over and grinned nervously, "Hi."
"Can we help you?" Pansy said coldly, glaring at him.
"Where's Harry?" Ron asked, looking around.
"We don't know." Daphne said, "Have a good day."
"Hey wait." Ron said, his face flushing with annoyance, "Hermione, can I talk to you?"
"What do you want with Harry?" Hermione asked, "You haven't been very nice to him lately."
Ron shifted his feet, "Yeah well, I guess he might not have put his name in the cup. That dragon was pretty nasty."
Daphne rolled her eyes, "How many times do you have to be told that Harry would never do something like that?!"
Ron crossed his arms and scowled, "Yeah, sure. Harry Potter would never do something that made him the centre of attention!"
"Lets just go." Hermione said, it was snowing again and her feet were getting cold; she was in no mood to listen to Ron's jealousy over Harry, yet again.
"Wait, sorry… umm… can I just have a word Hermione? Alone." Ron asked.
Hermione sighed and nodded. She moved a few steps away, well aware of the fact Pansy and Daphne would still be listening.
"What is it Ronald?" Hermione asked after he was quite for a few moments.
"Well… umm… I asked Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball." Ron said.
"Good for you." Hermione smiled, she really didn't understand why he was telling her this.
"She said no." Ron said rather sadly.
"Oh..."
"Well actually she didn't really say anything just looked nastily at me." Ron sighed.
"Well… she… she is a few years older than us and…" Hermione didn't know what to say, she didn't think saying 'and way to good for you' would go down so well.
"Yeah. Well I still need a date, someone who would be really pleased if I asked them." Ron said, "And I thought, well, you're a girl."
Hermione didn't like where this was going, "Yes, I am. Well noticed."
"So? Do you want to go with me?" Ron said, with a big smile.
"I'm sorry Ronald but I already have a date." Hermione said as gently as she could, her rage bubbling inside.
Ron snorted a laugh, "Don't lie. Come with me, it'll be fun."
"Ronald, I said I have a date. I'm not lying." Hermione said firmly.
Ron looked her up and down and rolled his eyes, "Really? Who would ask you out? Come on then who is it?"
Daphne walked over and took Hermione's arm, "She doesn't have to tell you. You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Pathetic." Pansy said taking Hermione's other arm and leading her away.
"Are you OK?" Daphne asked.
Hermione nodded, slightly tearfully, "He's right though. Who is ever going to believe that someone like Viktor wanted to go out with someone like me?"
"What are you talking about?" Daphne said, "Hermione you are a lovely, kind and wonderful person and you're really pretty, what's not to like?"
Pansy nodded, "Plus you know, they're all going to see you both there."
Hermione smiled and wiped her eyes, she knew she had looked amazing in her dress but still felt like she was the ugly duckling.
If trying to get Hermione's confidence up, getting her to walk and move like a lady and then trying to squash the rumours Ron was spreading about her lying about having a date, because she wasn't good enough for anyone, wasn't hard enough, Daphne and Pansy's biggest challenge was yet to come.
"Harry that is my foot!" Daphne said, limping slightly.
Harry flushed with anger and took several deep breaths, "I'm sorry. I am trying I promise."
Daphne forced a smile and ignored the pain, "I know. From the top?"
Harry nodded and Draco put the record back to the start of the song, Professor Snape had found them a classroom to practice in and an old record player so they had some music.
Harry focused on where he was putting his feet, staring at the ground as Daphne moved so easily she might as well have been floating.
"Look up at me Harry." she reminded him gently.
Harry looked up and twirled her around, smiling.
"You're getting it!" Draco cheered.
Harry grinned and spun Daphne again, causing a horrible ripping noise. His foot had been caught on her skirt, ripping the fabric up to just below her hip.
"I'm so sorry!" Harry said, the colour draining from his face.
Daphne waved her hand, "It's fine. It's not my actual dress, just a mock up. I think we should call it quits for today anyway, my toes could use the break and I need to get this fixed."
Harry nodded, "I am really grateful for the help. I can't believe that they're making me dance."
"It's never been your strong suit." Draco smirked, "Having said that, you did fight a dragon."
Harry grinned, "I'd rather face the dragon again."
Daphne laughed, "It's not that bad. I really need to go get this fixed."
Harry nodded, "We're heading to the library to meet Neville. See you later?"
Daphne smiled and nodded, leaving the room and heading to the Slytherin dorms to get changed.
Ron was walking the other way and walked straight into her, knocking her bag to the ground and spilling out her school books.
"Watch it!" she snapped, crouching down to gather them up.
"Sorry." Ron muttered, helping her pick up the books before getting distracted by the large amount of leg she had on show.
"Eyes up here Ronald!" Daphne hissed, trying to pull her ripped skirt over her leg and standing back up.
"It the slit meant to be that big?" Ron asked, eyes still wide.
Daphne rolled her eyes, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of telling him how bad a dancer Harry was, "Have you managed to find a date to the dance yet?"
Ron nodded, "Yes." he said stubbornly "Parvati, she's a very pretty Gryffindor."
Daphne smiled, "I know her. Well done you, you must be very proud of yourself." she took her books off him, "Well I hope you have a brilliant time."
Ron was about to say something else when Daphne swept passed him. Ron stared after her, annoyed he'd not thought to ask her out as well.
The next day Harry was waiting with Draco in the empty classroom when Pansy came in.
"Where's Daphne?" Harry asked, worried his toe stamping had scared her away.
"She got held back by Professor Vector so I've come instead." Pansy told them, slipping on a long skirt, "You don't mind me keeping my school skirt on underneath after what happened yesterday?" she smirked
Draco snorted a laugh and Harry blushed.
"Don't worry, I can dance as well." Pansy grinned.
Harry took her hand and Draco started the music, it was getting so that the music never left his head now he'd listened to the same song so often.
"I'm sorry Pansy." Harry said as he mixed up the steps and nearly pulled her over, "Daphne is a lot taller than you."
They both looked over to Draco.
"No." Draco huffed, "You can't mean it!"
Pansy put her hands on her hips and looked very serious, "You are far closer to Daphne's height than I am. Do you want Harry to look silly? That's what you're going to do if you don't help him."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Really? Fine."
Pansy took off the skirt and handed it over, Draco, with little enthusiasm, put it on and gave a twirl,
"Well, don't I look pretty." he smirked.
"No you have to put your hands there." Harry said, as he fought with Draco's arms.
Draco nodded and forced himself to put his hand on Harry's shoulder rather than waist, it was weird being the girl for once. He also stepped on Harry's foot the moment the music started as they both stepped towards each other.
Pansy bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing, they were doing their best after all but it looked like they were trying to kiss.
"And one and two and three and four. Your hand should be light, like a birdie on a branch. And one, two and three and four. And Harry doesn't lead, he follows like a girl. And one and two and…twirly, twirly, twirly. And one and two, and you're still getting it wrong. And one and two and three and four… and you can glare at me all you want." Pansy grinned.
Harry let out a loud sigh and started dancing again. He was surprised, Draco moved rather easily in a skirt which Harry made a mental note to tease him about later. Part of the issue was he was wishing he was dancing with Cho.
By the end of two hours though Harry's dancing was much, much better than it ever had been. He was sweeping Draco around the classroom with remarkable ease and was managing to twirl him without ripping the skirt again.
"That's looking brilliant." Pansy smiled, "You should be very proud."
Harry was proud, dancing had been a skill he'd never thought he'd master, "I'm getting pretty good at this." he grinned, "How are you enjoying this dance Lady Draco?" he said in a put on posh voice.
Draco gave a girly giggle, "Oh very much Lord Harry. Hehe."
The door opened,
"I was just wondering…" Professor Snape smirked, "Are you enjoying yourselves?"
Harry and Draco stopped dancing mid twirl.
"Dad!" Harry said, "Umm… we were just..."
"You don't need to explain anything to me Harry." Severus said, the smirk still firmly on his face, "What you do in your spare time is up to you."
"Draco is the same height as Daphne." Harry tried to explain, feeling himself blush.
Severus laughed, "I'd worked that out strangely. You seem to be doing very well, your mother will be pleased."
Harry grinned, he knew how happy Lily would be to know that he'd been working on his dancing.
"Thanks." he grinned.
"You three really should be getting to dinner, I've just had to go and rescue Daphne from Professor Vector who was still going over the latest homework."
Harry was pleased with his effort as he sat down for dinner, he was hungry, very hungry. Pansy and Draco slid in next to him and Daphne, it wasn't long before the Durmstrang students also came in.
Professor Karkaroff looking self important as always. Viktor Krum was surrounded by girls as soon as he came into the hall, just happening to be there in case he wanted to ask them anything, about the dance for instance. He didn't talk to any of them though, but made his way over to where Harry was sitting and sat down looking angrily at his plate.
"Are you all right?" Daphne asked as the food appeared on the fine gold plates.
Krum nodded, "I am just getting very annoyed vith the amount of people vho think it is OK to follow me every vhere I go."
"They just want you to ask them to the dance." Draco said, "You are rather popular."
Krum raised his eyebrows and smirked, "Does not mean I have to like it."
Harry sniggered and agreed. Gemini was looking at him venomously from further down the table, there were a lot of reasons that she was annoyed at him currently.
After he'd won the first task, most of the school had come round to him being a champion and pretended they had never owned the rather distasteful badges; Gemini was not one of them, she still wore hers proudly, although she had given up on trying to forcing Corvus to wear one.
The other thing that was annoying her so much was the Yule Ball. When it had been announced she had assumed that someone would ask her, allowing her to go even though she was too young. Unfortunately no one had. Most of her followers were too young to go themselves and the few who were old enough already had girlfriends to take.
To add salt to the wound, Rodolphus was going. It was a rather awkward and nervous Millicent who'd approached him and asked if he would like to go with her. He had said yes, although Harry was sure this was mostly to spite Gemini rather than wanting to spend the evening with Millicent.
Rodolphus put up with Millicent but normally had very little time for the amount of attention she wanted to give him, preferring the girls his age or younger and blonde. Harry almost felt sorry for her before remembering how insufferable she was.
"We've been trying to teach Harry to dance." Pansy said, hearing his name Harry was snapped out of him thoughts and returned to the conversation around him.
"I'm sure Harry is a very good dancer." Haverlock said.
Harry managed to stop himself from laughing, "It's not my favourite subject." he said, "Never really had much of a knack."
"Ve all dance very vell." Birgitta said, "Ve have to take it as a subject in school from day vne you see."
"You take dance as a lesson?" Draco asked.
The four Durmstrang students nodded.
"Oh yes. It is considered very important. Ve often are taught from a very young age, before ve even start our… umm beginning school? If you know vhat I mean." Haverlock said.
Harry nodded, it was bad enough that he was going to have to dance in front of the school this time, he would hate to have to do it every week. It was far more enjoyable now he was getting the hang of it though he had to admit.
Harry also had managed not to laugh even once when Gemini's face twitched every time some of the girls was talking about their dresses or hair. He was both looking forward to and dreading the Ball in equal measure.