Yule's ball

// THIS IS AN OLD CHAPTER. THE NEW CHAPTERS ARE IN VOLUME 2. YOU CAN READ THESE CHAPTERS IF YOU WANT SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN LATER BUT SOME EVENTS CAN BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW CHAPTERS.

When I'm back in the Slytherin common room, Daphne is already there and literally jumps on me as I walk past the picture that guards the entrance.

"So, you got it, right?"

"Yes, I got it back, it's in my suitcase." I take out the thick volume and hand it to her. She grabs it and begins to leaf through it, completely forgetting that she was in the middle of the common room. "You should read it in your room." She nods before running up to the stairs to the bedrooms. Arriving at the base of it, she turns around to place a quick kiss on my lips before heading back to her room.

The next two weeks were fairly quiet given the proximity of the winter ball. Latecomers ran around the castle in search of a date for the ball.

A thick layer of snow had fallen on the castle covering everything with a thick white coat. But it was the same day that the changes with the previous two weeks were the most significant. Around two o'clock on the day of the ball, no more girls could be found on the castle grounds, they had all taken refuge in the dormitories to prepare for the evening. The corridors had become an exclusively male place, the snowball battles multiplied throughout the area leaving traces of snow that almost drove McGonagall crazy.

Around four o'clock, I decide to go back to the dormitory to get ready. I take a quick shower before pulling out some enchanted hairdressing tools that faithfully reproduce the hairstyle the veela gave me during the Quidditch World Cup final. Then I put on my costume, it's almost entirely white and turns a blue so light it looks like frost on the ends. Fine snowflake designs were made using tiny transparent crystals. My outfit matches my vellum appearance quite well and makes me look completely unreal like a supernatural ice statue. I let my aura of attraction escape just enough for people to notice me but no more, well at least I hope so, I do not want to deal with spontaneous declarations of love tonight.

I have a few minutes left before it's time to go to the great hall, and I am quietly awaiting the arrival of Daphne in the common room. She eventually arrived, wearing a sleeveless dress in the same theme as my outfit with long blue gloves and a white fur scarf. Arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she turns around to let me admire her outfit.

"You are gorgeous." I take her wrist in my hand before attaching a white rose to it.

"You're not too bad either." I offer her my arm then we leave the dungeon towards the entrance hall.

Many couples were already there. I recognize for example Fleur with Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw boy I believe. Viktor Krum is accompanied by Hermione, Ron is with Lavender Brow, Draco is with Pansy. Even Rose, Luna, and Ginny had managed to have a date with them so they could go to the ball, making Dean, Neville, and Seamus the happiest boys in school.

We arrived exactly at the right time because a few seconds later, McGonagall gathered the champions and their date. "Champions, over here, please." She's holding us a bit away from the doors to let everyone else settle in. I just wave my hand to greet the other champions when I notice that one of us is missing. "But where's Harry Potter?"

At the same time, Harry comes running up with a girl on his arm who must be a year younger than him. I think I saw her once or twice with Ginny, but I'm not sure.

"Excuse me for being late professor, I was having a hard time preparing myself." McGonagall looks at him pained but she doesn't say anything.

He had returned some days ago after his injuries had been treated. From what Ron told me, all he got from the encounter with the dragon was a long burn scar right in the middle of his chest and nightmares where he would wake up in the middle of the night screaming that he was still burning in the dragon flames. The abilities of the healers of Saint Mungo are still exceptional if they can heal this kind of wound to leave only a scar, I should really inquire about it.

We all go into the hall one after the other to join the last table where the judges are. I can see several boys admiring Daphne in her dress, which widens the smile she already has. Or maybe it is the look of disappointment on some of the girls' faces.

Once seated at the table, we use the menu to choose what we want to eat. I barely notice that Barty Crouch is absent, replaced by Percy Weasley. But the meal doesn't last, and Dumbledore gets up to levitate the tables against the walls and clear a dance floor as a scene appears right behind him.

"Miss, are you ready for your first dance?" I grabbed Daphne's hand, pulling her toward the center of the room. When the music starts, I place one of my hands on her waist and put her hand into mine. This kind of evening is something we're used to and we both move gracefully on the dance floor following the slow rhythm of the music. Soon other couples join us and we are drowned in an ocean of moving bodies.

At one point, our footsteps bring us closer to Potter. He has received a correct education as the heir of a good wizarding family, and he learned how to dance. He is leading his date who obviously has less experience. When the dance ends, I sit down at the champions table with Daphne.

"I'm going to go get us something to drink, can you wait for me here?"

"Hurry, or I might find myself a new dance partner." She smiles taking on the mischievous look that I find so charming.

I go to a table filled with drinks, some of which are alcoholic, to get me a beer and a flute of champagne for Daphne. And when I turn around, I come across Ron sitting down with Lavender Brown next to him who seemed to be deeply bored.

"Ron, go dance with your date until she doesn't feel like it. And be a gentleman please." Ron gets up as soon as I finish speaking and leads his date towards the dance floor. Lavender winks at me while following Ron, to thank me I suppose.

Then while I was going to find Daphne, Rose approaches me, cutting through the crowd.

"Sean, can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure, why not." We sit in the chairs where Ron and Lavender were sitting a few seconds earlier. Rose looks a little uncomfortable.

"Look, I think I'm starting to feel my emotions more clearly. Do you think we could give ourselves another chance?" I don't know what to say to her. I think I still love her but it's too late.

"Rose, why didn't you tell me this before? You know who I came to the ball with. You saw the matching outfits. You saw us kissing each other. Why now?" I sigh deeply. "You put me in a delicate situation. On the one hand, I'm not going to lie to you, I still have feelings for you especially since I feel a little responsible for your condition. But on the other hand, I feel good with Daphne. I'm sorry Rose but I can't do this to her. " I walk away, leaving Rose in her chair. I don't have to turn around to hear her cry. I want to go back to comfort her, but I don't think it's the right thing to do for Daphne

When I return to Daphne, she is dancing with a boy from BeauxBatons and sticking her tongue out at me, laughing. I could be jealous, but I prefer to annoy her too by dancing with other girls.

Fleur walks right next to me on Roger Davies's arm and whispers in my ear "You have a leak." before leaving while laughing in the direction of the park.

Suddenly, Ginny appears right in front of me as I was about to put my glass down on a table.

"Do you dance?" she holds out her hand for me to take it.

"Why not. Have you lost your date?" She looks at me a little embarrassed.

"Seamus ... is not a very good dancer." At the same time, I spot Seamus dancing with another girl a little further away. Either he dumped her, or she's the one who dumped him.

I take her to the center of the room where we dance to the energetic music that was played.

"So, you and Daphne, is that a serious thing?"

"Well, it seems so."

"And if I wanted to invite you to come with me to Hogsmeade on the next outing would you agree, just the two of you." I see where she's going with this, but this kind of story rarely ends well.

"Listen, Ginny, you sound like a nice girl and I sincerely hope you find someone who will respond to your feelings but I'm already in a relationship and I don't want to screw it up. I'm sorry. " I leave Ginny there as I walk away from the dance floor to leave the room. Daphne joins me, I guess she saw me go through the door.

"Everything's fine?"

"Um, yeah it's okay. I just had to clarify the situation with Ginny."

"So, she finally confessed her feelings to you?"

"Did you know?"

"The whole school knew about it. She's been devouring you with her eyes since she entered Hogwarts. But she could have chosen another time to confess. It's not okay to say that to another girl's boyfriend. " She frowns, obviously very annoyed. I give her a hug as she rests her head against my chest, and we dance in the park to music that belongs only to us.

After a few minutes, we resume our walk towards the lake when I hear moans coming from a bush. I motion to Daphne to follow me discreetly and we come across Fred taking Angelina Johnson in doggy style against a tree. The clothes of the two lovers are hung on the branches while a sheet covers the ground.

Daphne blushes when she sees the scene and we leave without making a sound. It is almost midnight when we return to the castle. I was about to return to the dorm with Daphne when a hand lands on my shoulder. I turn my head to catch a glimpse of Dumbledore wearing his classic, slightly sweet grandfather smile.

"Miss Greengrass, can I borrow Sean from you. I would like to speak with him in my office.