Art by @yayl_xyd (1/2) Chapter 3: The Secret Dance The day of the Ball arrived with little fanfare and Harry wasn’t sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved. As far as Harry was aware, the Yule Ball was a noisy distraction from a quiet Christmas Eve night with his friends in the Gryffindor common room. It used to be that Harry and Ron were the only ones who stayed home for the holidays, but now it seemed everyone fourth year and older had made plans to crowd the corridors and pollute the Great Hall with noise. Harry and Ron were graciously gifted dress robes from Mrs. Weasley, and while Harry found his bottle green garment quite pleasant, Ron's frilled apron was absolutely dreadful to lay eyes on. While Ron moaned to Neville, Dean and Seamus about his attire, Harry was quietly putting the finishing touches on his own appearance. While he had no great intentions to present himself properly to the likes of the Patil sisters, he did feel a reluctant urge to look respectable as a Triwizard champion. He reached deep into his bag looking for a brooch Mrs Weasley had sent when he noticed the glint of shining plastic below his herbology gloves. A small, sickly green button lay at the bottom, simply reading ‘POTTER KS’. Malfoy’s badge still looked pitifully broken as it tried and failed to shift into a new mocking phrase. It had been some time since he'd seen anyone wearing one. He thought of Malfoy and his mood immediately worsened. He’d been unable to speak with her for a few days by now, and while he hadn't heard any gossip about the two, leaving their secret in such a precarious spot before the dance made him uneasy. He had tried to leave messages for her, but stopped the effort, thinking that it would mean more to apologize in person rather than hide behind a piece of parchment. Even if it meant risking his own safety, it felt wiser to do the right thing. The button was struggling to form a new word under ‘POTTER’ as Harry held it in his hand. Seamus shouted behind him and he reflexively dropped it in his breast pocket, hiding it there. Fetching his comb and a tin of breath mints, Harry grabbed Ron by the frills and began dragging him to the exit. Despite the incessant wish to stay home for the night, Harry knew they couldn't afford to be late. Much of the Ball followed routinely, Harry and Ron met the Patil twins outside the entrance and waited in awkward silence as more and more students arrived at the Great Hall. Its massive doors were locked shut as final preparations were being made. Ron would ask Harry every five minutes if he had seen Hermione, and every time Harry had to repeat himself with a resounding no. A crowd of Slytherins arrived from the Dungeons, but Harry couldn’t see Malfoy among them. Harry and Parvati were eventually separated from Ron and Padma, so that they could join the other champions and their dates in the entry procession. Harry shared an awkward handshake with Cedric Diggory and smiled at Cho Chang through pursed lips. Her dress was fetching, but nothing stirred in him seeing her. Viktor Krum had a beautiful girl with him that Harry didn't recognize. She had long brown hair and a rose colored corset. He assumed she was from Beauxbatons, as she didn't look like anyone he knew from Hogwarts. And Fleur Delacour had Roger Davies, captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team latched to her arm. Harry almost felt bad for him, he looked as if he were tethered by an invisible leash. The doors opened slowly and the faculty escorted the champions inside. An entry procession of this magnanimity felt less grand than Harry had initially envisioned, mostly to do with the speed at which it developed. The Great Hall had been magically transformed into a wintery and world-class Ballroom, the likes of which Harry couldn’t have imagined in his dreams. The animated ceiling of the Great Hall glowed with bright stars that illuminated the hall with a lavender tinge. Snowy powder glimmered in the air above them, which brimmed with floating icicles and holly branches. The walls reflected with shimmering ice and Harry had a hard time believing it was the same room he’d eaten breakfast in mere hours before. McGonagall and Flitwick had certainly outdone themselves. Parvati had to nudge him forward at multiple points, his distraction was partially down to the spectacular visuals, but also because he was combing the crowds for her. Harry still had not seen Malfoy in well over three days now, but surely she wouldn't miss something as prestigious as the first Hogwarts Yule Ball in centuries. He had even tried asking Crabbe and Goyle as they left Defense Against the Dark Arts but he had been thoroughly chased off. His mind had become rapidly obsessed with Dracona Malfoy since their argument. And currently, he couldn’t feel any more removed from the moment. Harry stared at his last-resort partner across from him and couldn’t help but feel improper. The first dance was shared with the other champions alone, and it went swimmingly. Harry, to his own small surprise, was leading Parvati and had to slow down to match a pace that was comfortable for her. The speed that Dracona had him practicing at was looking somewhat pointless now, as every single waltz was slow and measured. Parvati wasn't the most incapable partner, but something about her dancing irked Harry. Besides moving slowly, she never looked at their feet and more annoyingly she never looked Harry in the eyes. While these weren’t odd in themselves, for their entire time on the dancefloor Parvati watched only the crowd. As if she were seeking out the affirmation of an audience. Making sure they watched her as she soaked in the attention. Harry was not a partner with which to enjoy a dance, he was a status symbol to be paraded in front of the whole school. Harry would’ve felt more ashamed, had he not also been searching through the audience looking for Malfoy. There seemed to be a silent understanding that neither of them were there with whom they wanted to see. When they finally bowed to one another and made their way to the champions table, Harry was more than relieved. He looked up to see Cedric and Cho already seated and sharing small talk. Cho was blushing and Harry didn’t feel like eating anymore. Before he could reach the head table, Krum’s partner had broken free from him and nearly clattered Harry to the floor. “Harry! You did amazingly well! And your dress robes, they’re perfect on you! I’m so glad!” Harry felt embarrassed, she spoke to him as if they were already good friends. Harry wiped at his glasses and began to squint. His puzzled look made her laugh brightly, and it unlocked something in his mind. He pensively opened, “...Hermione?” Any hope for a quiet and enjoyable evening ended for Harry once Ron had discovered Hermione had partnered with Krum. Ron petulantly dismissed the Patils and forced Harry to commiserate with him. While Harry didn’t mind the distraction from Cho, he couldn’t help but feel as though his night was being wasted. A night he had been preparing for, willingly or unwillingly, for almost a month now. Harry barely danced the entire night. Anytime he tried to speak with Ron about trivial things, it was cut off by one of his rants where Ron was dead-set on denigrating Krum, questioning Hermione’s ‘Hogwarts Loyalty’ and ‘Fraternizing with the Enemy’. That’s when Harry saw her. Malfoy was in the center of the ballroom wearing a velvet green dress, a silver snake brooch on her right breast, and black satin meshing that draped her shoulders and chest. Her white-gold hair was tied in a high bun, which accentuated her neck behind large black hoop earrings. Harry couldn’t tear his gaze away, as she danced with a strapping Durmstranger with dark shaved hair. He looked much older in his military-looking uniform and was taller than Harry by a good amount. Too tall for her. They looked unusual together. A terrible pair. Harry forgot all about Cho and Cedric. He forgot about Ron, Hermione and the Patils. He stood in frozen silence watching Malfoy. “I don't know what she sees in him.” Harry hadn't realized he was speaking out loud. But Ron mistook his comment to mean Hermione and Krum. Hermione had returned with drinks and Ron had quickly started another argument. The traditional music had now been replaced with the raucous Weird Sisters, who Harry found quite loud and unpalatable. Harry grew rather tired of all the noise and Ron’s vexing. He decided that a breath of fresh air was needed, no longer feeling any inclination to dance. Almost instantly Harry regretted leaving the castle interior, as it was blisteringly cold outside. The snow and ice on the awnings were evidently real, unlike the fakes that had been conjured in the Great Hall. Harry’s dress robes, while comfortable and well suited for the dancefloor, were totally inadequate for winter. Harry began to pace the courtyard looking for a torch sconce or some form of warmth away from the venue. Unfortunately everywhere he turned, he ran across other students who were also sneaking away from the ball. It took more effort than he liked to admit, to ignore the lovebirds and delinquents who were visibly and audibly enjoying themselves, while he himself felt so miserable. Karkaroff and Snape were patrolling the corridors dealing out punishment for those who seemed to be enjoying themselves beyond their liking, and after a murderous glance from the two, Harry was lucky to escape without any punishment. A strange thought entered his mind, a great desire to walk out to the boat docks and hide. Whatever guilt he carried towards Malfoy had vanished, all that time he spent looking for her, she had already moved on and snagged someone else. Good riddance is what he wanted to say, but couldn’t. The bitter envy Harry felt was only worsened by a continued inability to explain why these feelings arose for a girl he thought he didn’t even like. Before he could mope down by the water, he noticed Hagrid sitting quietly with Madame Maxime near a frozen well. By the sound of it, Hagrid was struggling through a touching story about his mother. Harry had always assumed Hagrid was some percentage of giant, but never thought much upon it until he saw the two massive figures beside one another. What struck Harry was the way Maxime gazed at Hagrid. Her eyes were full, her hand was on his lap. Whatever was spoken, she was totally beholden to his presence. She wasn’t there out of some simple pity or a craven lust. She was sharing completely in his sorrow, and holding firm to his joy. Harry had sneered at their romance before, but he saw a tenderness this time that made his heart feel heavy. Harry no longer wished to remain outside, and the boat docks seemed like a silly idea once again. It was the all too familiar sting of loneliness that decided to make the lengthy hike back to the castle hall. Harry stopped at a balcony overlooking the Lake and decided to delay his return to the ballroom. He’d been dreading the Yule Ball since its announcement. Back then, he had hoped it would serve as a fun distraction from the second task. Now, it was slipping through his fingers. Reality was crashing back upon him, and Harry squarely felt the same pressures he’d repressed after being selected by the Goblet. A wonderful night, thoroughly squandered. That’s when he heard crying. Harry looked over the bannister below him but the courtyard was empty. He turned to look behind and found himself alone on the balcony. The noise had stopped, but an odd presence remained, like a ghost was still watching him. A shadow passed above him and Harry half expected a paint bomb from Peeves, but he was shocked to spot Malfoy perched diagonally on the roof overhanging the balcony. By this point she had noticed him and both of her hands were clapped over her mouth. She had been the source of the crying, and it was evident on her face. Dark mascara had smeared down her cheeks, and her hair had been released from its bun. Harry immediately felt the same pitiable sadness from the night when he screamed at her. Raising his hands over his head as if surrendering, Harry made sure to say nothing at first. Malfoy had moved her hands and was scowling at him. “Potter, Fancy seeing you here. Grown tired of living it up in there?” “I’m taking a break, yes. I don’t think I’m enjoying this much.” “Had to catch a breather by having a laugh at me then? You are the last person in the whole world that I’d want to see right now!” She launched a snowball at Harry but it sailed harmlessly over his head. This had to be his chance to reconcile things, even if it was too late for the Yule Ball, he didn’t want to carry this animosity through the rest of the year. Harry wasn’t going to leave until he had at least apologized. “Come down from there Malfoy, Aren't you cold? …How did you even manage to get up there?” Malfoy was in fact shivering and it was affecting her ability to properly scold Harry. “I’m hiding… I don’t want that creep, or anyone else for that matter to find me… Thanks a lot, Potter…” She sneered while pointing down to the courtyard. A Black Nimbus 2001 was sticking out of a hedgerow. “I had used my broom but it fell.” Harry cast Accio and retrieved it for her. “You brought your broom to the Yule Ball?” “Thanks for trying to make me laugh, you idiot… Tell me, where would I hide a broom in my dress? It’s not like a purse you know.” With this she held a hand out, which Harry could only guess meant she wanted it thrown back to her. Mounting the broomstick, Harry had devised a better plan. “No, you stay there!” Malfoy petulantly tried to dissuade him, but Harry had already kicked off the balcony and cruised up to the roof. She had scrambled further up and away from him. “No! I only wanted you to fetch the damned thing for me! I don’t want anything to do with you! Remember what you said? You told me to stay away! So that’s exactly how I’ll have it, Potter.” She was testing his patience, but whatever guilt weighed on Harry’s consciousness told him to just take it. Harry came to a hover a safe distance from Malfoy and began to speak plainly and placatingly. “I’m sorry Malfoy. It was wrong of me to treat you the way I did. Can we start there? You don’t have to forgive me tonight, or ever, but please, let's get you down from here.” His hand was now presented for her, and after a quiet pause, she wiped her eyes, leaving dark stains on her white gloves. Tears had begun to form in her eyes again. “Tonight was ruined for me, and so much of it has been your fault, Potter! I came here alone! Don’t you know how embarrassing that is for a lady of my stature? The first Yule Ball in two hundred years, and no one would have me… That stiff foreigner only wanted to dance with me so he could talk to Pansy… None of this went how I wanted…” Malfoy was shivering to a worrying degree, and Harry still kept his arm extended to her. “Like I said… you don’t need to forgive me, but can we go somewhere warmer to talk at least?” Taking his hand she moved to the edge of the roof. “Just take me back inside before I freeze to death.” Her answer was spoken simply. Harry swiftly situated her on the broom and returned to the earth. Inspecting the Nimbus 2001 in his hands after landing, Harry was still puzzled how she’d managed to bring it to the ball. “Had you planned on using this? Did you stash it somewhere in the courtyard?” “Planned for? No… It was the same trick you used fighting the Horntail. Long distance summoning. Pretty smart thing to keep in a bag of tricks.” She lifted her wand and the broomstick flew out of his hands and zoomed off into the blackness of night. She sniffed loudly. “Shall we?” ------