yule ball

lune

Draco stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, regretting most of his life decisions. The sun had long since sunk beneath the horizon, leaving only the moon's faint glow illuminating the crooked trees, which were casting eerie shadows on the forest floor.

Pansy smirked. "Too chicken?"

Draco gulped as he heard a howl from deep in the woods. "Absolutely not." He stammered a bit on his last word as another howl broke the silence, seeming a little louder, a little closer than the last- or was that simply his imagination?

Pansy was leaning against a tree, grinning lazily. Draco hated how much she was enjoying this. He'd had a little too much butterbeer that evening, and, on a massive sugar high, taken up one of Pansy's insane dares.

"Just walk to that willow tree." She had nudged him playfully. "It's not that far into the Forbidden Forest." Draco had been hesitant, so she had added, "I'll do your homework for the week- no, the month! But if you get there and chicken out, I get to dare you to do something. And you have to accept."

So there he was, standing on the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, with what was possibly a werewolf (probably not, but there was a chance!) growing nearer, and Pansy on his tail.

He wished he'd never told Pansy about his fear of the forest after his venture there in his first year with Potter. Ever since Draco was a child, he hadn't liked forests and the dark- too much that could be hidden- so both combined didn't sit well with him.

Pansy checked her watch, and Draco realized her thrill was fading, leaving only impatience. "So, are you going to do this or not?" She asked.

"I-" Draco stuttered, "I can't." He wasn't a quitter. However, if this went on any longer, Pansy might laugh about it with Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle, and god forbid the whole school find out about it. He'd be a laughingstock, and he could only imagine what would happened if Potter found out too. He'd never hear the end of it from the golden boy and his friends. Draco's thoughts were spiraling now. He thought of his father, his disappointment at his only son, who couldn't even bully Potter right.

Before he could retreat into his memories, Pansy snapped him out of it by snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Draco?"
"What is it, Pansy?" Draco sighed. He needed to keep his emotions under control.

"I said, I have a dare for you." Pansy smiled smugly.

"Well, it can't be any worse than going into the forbidden forest." Draco conceded. "Just get on with it, it's freezing out here." Draco wrapped his jumper tighter around himself.

"First, we have to make a binding contract." Pansy stuck her hand out.

"A binding contract?" Draco snorted. "Who are you, a magical lawyer? Malfoy's stick to their word." Although Draco was beginning to get a tad suspicious about this whole affair, tiredness clouded his mind and he stuck his hand out, holding Pansy's.

Pansy muttered a few words under her breath that Draco couldn't quite catch. It was over before he knew it, and they shook on it.

"Now let's head to the common room." Pansy nodded and flung one end of her green scarf around her shoulder. Draco noticed for the first time that her face was reddening with the cold, and wondered just what had been so important to her, to make her stay out in the bitter winter weather.

They walked back to the common room in silence. It was fairly uneventful, they did have to dodge Mrs. Norris twice, but Filch was presumably busy with other students. Once they had whispered the password and entered the dorm room, Draco collapsed in front of the fire flickering in the fireplace.

"So, what's the dare? Do I have to make out with Blaise? You've used that one too much before, Pansy. I hope you've come up with some new material."

For a second, tense silence fell over them, Draco bracing himself for the answer.

Eventually, Pansy spoke with a smile tugging at her lips. "You have to ask Potter to the Yule ball."