Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

27

Daphne was going with a pretty girl in their year, Susan Bones who was the most Slytherin Hufflepuff Eliza had ever met. Draco had agreed to take Astoria with him as his 'date' so she wouldn't be alone on Yule Night and Theo and Blaise had simply decided to avoid all of the faff by going with each other.

She was sure Blaise and Theo could have gotten a date with any girl at Hogwarts but after hearing how a younger student had tried to dose someone with a love potion she agreed with their decision to go with each other. At least they weren't going to poison one another. She knew her court could look after themselves but love potions were truly horrible things. Tom didn't like to talk about his mother much but she knew enough to know it wasn't good.

But as all her court were taken Eliza was left dateless.

"The ball's only a week away" Eliza complained, slumping over the table in the great hall as her court chatted about her "what am I going to do?"

"I heard Terry Boot was interested-

"Ugh" Eliza cut Blaise off.

"Ugh?"

"He's so nice"

Silence met her words.

"I think only you would find someone being nice undesirable Eliza" Draco said staring at her in intrigued bafflement.

"I have to agree with Little Star" Tom said, finally slipping into the seat beside her "being nice is just so boring"

"Sociopaths" Blaise coughed quietly and Eliza smirked in response.

"Besides Little Star, you're coming to the ball with me" Tom said self-assuredly.

"Oh am I?" Eliza drawled raising her eyebrows in mock surprise "I don't recall you asking"

Tom chuckled softly and turned to face her, taking her hands in his.

"Eliza Potter. Would you do me the honour of going to the Yule Ball with me?"

"I'll think about it" Eliza quipped not bothering to hide the growing smirk on her face.

It seemed that she had stunned the to-be Dark Lord into silence so instead she returned her attentions onto her court and helped Blaise ruthlessly tease Daphne about the not-so-subtle looks she had been sending Susan Bones all day.

"Leave her alone you two" Theo groaned placing down his book on the table.

"Oh finally calling off your lover boy Theo?" Daphne said and Theo looked at her horrified.

"He's not my lover boy" Theo proclaimed indignantly, seemingly offended by the very notion.

"I can be if you wanted Theo" Blaise chimed in with a wink and a growing smirk.

There's silence and then a dull thud when Theo wacked Blaise over the head with his book.

"That hurt you know" Blaise spluttered, rubbing the back of his head as Eliza and Draco did their best to stifle their laughter.

"It was meant to" came Theo's dry response and Draco burst into laughter when Blaise let out an indignant squawk of offence. Their arguing didn't end until they made it back to the common room.

The next day when Tom tracks down Eliza he asked her to the ball again, holding out a mixed bouquet of flowers, orange and dark red roses, white hyacinth's, geraniums and phlox all bundled into one bright explosion of colour.

"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" Tom asked trying to sound serious but the smile pulling at his lips gives him away.

"Hm maybe" Eliza chirped and took the bouquet off him, heading for her next lesson. She waited until she rounded the corner to smell them and smiled brightly, clutching the bouquet tightly.