Jupiter | Harry James Potter

xxiii ; definitely

Then she was joined by another.

Diggory was at her side, and she looked up at him, putting on her best smile. He said something to her, which made her flush plum red.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall yelled from down the hall, pulling my eyes away from the absolutely atrocious sight in front of me as Jupiter took Diggory's arm. "There you are, Potter. Are you and Miss Farraway ready?"

"Er- ready, Professor?"

"To dance. It's tradition that the three champions, well, in this case, four- are the first to dance. Surely I told you that." Professor McGonagall said, making my face turn white.

"No." I muttered, looking around at the insanely crowded hall.

"Well, now you know." Professor McGonagall shrugged. "As for you, Mr. Weasley, you may proceed into the Great Hall with Miss Farraway."

Ron let out a small groan, and Christina begrudgingly scooted a little closer to him as they walked in together.

"Oh! There you are!" Professor McGonagall gasped, clutching her chest as she hurried over to Jupiter and Diggory across the hall.

"That was a really nice thing of you to do." Cora said, looking up at me. Even in her heels, she was still considerably shorter than me. She was incredibly dainty, almost unhealthily. "For Christina, I mean."

"It was nothing." I shrugged. "I just knew Ron needed a date who wouldn't actually want to go with him since he'd be sulking over Hermione Granger."

"Still, I know she appreciates it." Cora smiled gently. "Speaking of Granger, can you believe she's here with Krum?"

"What?" I gawked, my mouth falling open as I began to search the hall for Hermione. I found her standing near Jupiter and Diggory, her arm wrapped firmly around Viktor Krum's.

"You didn't see? He met her at the bottom of the staircase when she walked down." Cora said, her head tilting slightly.

"Oh- er- no, I wasn't really paying attention." I stuttered, but before Cora could ask anymore prying questions, Professor McGonagall lined up the champions in front of the double doors to the Great Hall.

Jupiter and Diggory were placed in front of us, both of them chattering aimlessly just out of earshot from me.

"Follow me!" Professor McGonagall instructed, and the doors swung open.

We followed after her, Cora quickly taking my arm as everyone in the Great Hall applauded. Professor McGonagall led us down the empty path that was made in between the hundreds of students to the center of the hall. The walls of the hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling.

I ended up having to concentrate on not tripping over my own feet, while Cora seemed to be enjoying herself; she was beaming around at everybody. I tried to ignore the small whispers and stared that emerged whenever people realized the separation of Jupiter and I. I caught sight of Ron and Christina as we reached the center of the room. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes, and Christina was staring at Cora and I intently.

I remembered my promise to her, my heart beating a little faster at the thought. Getting hexed to a pulp by Christina Farraway was not something I wanted for myself.

My eyes found Jupiter, who was a pair over from us, next to Hermione and Krum.  Diggory took her waist, his hand in the cusp of her side. I felt my blood begin to boil at the sight of them, but before I could make even more of an embarrassment out of myself, Cora interrupted.