Squib On The Run (sequel to Squib In The basement)

36. Dancing And Dragons

"You did amazing with that dragon though. Rita Skeeter praised you highly in the Daily Prophet" said Sirius.
Harry blushed, "Thanks. But you know what she's like, she always exaggerates things".
"Not this time. Harry flew really well, and managed to outsmart the dragon to get the golden egg, even faster than Cedric" informed Ron.
"And he's got until February to figure out the next task, so I'm sure he can do it" added Hermione.
"I'm sure he can" agreed Sirius.

"Are you all looking forward to Christmas?" Asked Cassiopeia.
"Not exactly" admitted Harry.
"How come?" Frowned Cassiopeia.
"Because of the Yule Ball. We all have to find dancing partners to go with" explained Harry.
"And you're worried about finding a date for the Yule Ball?"
"Yes. A few younger girls have asked me, but I turned them down, because I don't want to go with someone I don't know"
"Aren't there any pretty girls in your year that you can go with?"
"I did ask one girl, but she said no because she's already going with Cedric"
"Ah, I see".

"Hermione's got a date, but she won't tell us who it is" informed Ron.
"No, I won't. And the more times you ask, the more times I am going to disappoint you, because I'm not telling you who I'm going with. You will just have to wait and see" replied Hermione.
"Well, I'm sure there are lots of other girls at Hogwarts who would love to go to the dance with you" reassured Cassiopeia.
"Maybe, but it's really hard to get one on their own to ask them" said Harry, as his cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You've wrestled dragons afterall" reminded Cassiopeia.
"I'd rather face another dragon than have to ask another girl out and get turned down again".

"It's just a dance, not a life or death situation. You're going to be just fine. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who you ask to the dance. You don't have to be their boyfriend afterwards or anything like that" said Cassiopeia.
"It's not just getting a partner that I'm worried about. I have to dance in front of the entire school, and the foreign students. And I'm scared I'm going to make a fool out of myself, because I don't know how to dance" revealed Harry.
"Are they not giving you dancing lessons?" Asked Cassiopeia.
"We had one lesson with McGonagall and that was it. We are supposed to just practice in our own time until the Yule Ball"
"Merlin's beard. If I'd known that, I would've had you coming here every weekend so Sirius and I could teach you".

Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow, "You can both dance?".
"I know we don't look like much now, living in a cave, wearing rags, and covered in food stains, but Cassie and I are both from the noble house of Black. We learnt all the wizard formal dances at a young age. Our mother wanted to make sure that none of her children embarrassed her in public, especially on the dance floor" explained Sirius.
"If only our dear old mother could see us now" mumbled Cassiopeia, as she looked down at her ruined dress.

"Are there a lot of formal dances in the wizarding world?" Questioned Hermione.
"Quite a few, yes" answered Cassiopeia.
"Why?" Quizzed Hermione.
"What you have to understand is that the wizarding world is still stuck in the Muggle medieval world. Formal gowns, servants, and fancy balls are still the way most pure-bloods live. Before the war, the Blacks were at the top of the pure-blood ladder, so to speak. We were practically royalty. Back then, it was a big honour to marry a Black".

"The noble house of Black was brought down in a single generation, in less than a decade. How far our family has fallen" sighed Sirius.
"If the Black family isn't at the top any more, then who is?" Quizzed Harry.
"The Malfoys" answered Sirius through gritted teeth.
"They may be at the top now, but they have not reached the heights that our family used to be at. The wizarding war changed everything. So many famly lines ended, and the pure-blood way of life that we used to know, is slowly coming to an end" admitted Cassiopeia.
"It's probably for the best. The world we grew up in was dark and twisted. And that way of life needs to die out" added Sirius.

"Right, well we should probably start heading back to school" announced Hermione.
"Do we have to?" Questioned Harry.
"Yes, Hermione is right, you should get back to Hogwarts. It gets dark very early in the winter" reminded Cassiopeia.
"Alright then, we'll go. I'm going to get Hedwig to bring you some food though, because I don't want you statving while you're living here" informed Harry.
"I'm not going to object to free food, but do try to refrain from using Hedwig all the time. Try using a host of different owls instead, so no one gets suspicious of who you are sending food to"
"O.K".

"Try to have fun over the Christmas break, despite all of your girl dramas" smiled Sirius, as he hugged Harry goodbye.
"Eugh, don't remind me" replied Harry, as he released Sirius and turned to Cassiopeia.
"We'll send your presents so that they arrive on Christmas morning. And we'll meet up with you in the new year, before the second tast" said Cassiopeia.
"You don't need to send me anything" insisted Harry.
"With your parents gone, it falls to us to make sure you are not left out over Christmas. And despite our circumstances, we are not going to fail you as godparents. You have my word" promised Cassiopeia, as she gave Harry a big hug goodbye.
"I'm going to miss you" whispered Harry.
"Yeah, you too kid".