Living In My Head (Drarry)

Chapter 74: Before the Storm

A.N.

Chapter song: Spring Waltz by Chopin

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'I see', Cedric had said. Those two words thickened the silence and made it uncomfortable, Viktor (thank the stars) took this moment to whisper something in Hermione's ear. She blushed and laughed before smacking his knee.

"Keep it PG-13, okay, kids?" I joke awkwardly, making Hermione laugh.

The joke seems to be lost on Viktor, but Hermione's smile makes him smile too. Hermione squished next to me, she leans her head on my shoulder. Viktor's glance seems jealous before softening and he puts his face in the crook of her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Judging by the expression she flashes me, he has not been touchy-feely with her yet and this is the first time. He mirrored me because he saw she didn't seem to mind it. I nudge her to lean towards him, feeling like a third wheel in their intimacy. She moves from my shoulder and sits up straight, he adjusts but continues to hold his face against her neck and his arms around her waist.

"You smell nice," he whispers.

I blush and pull my feet into the chair, suddenly embarrassed. Cedric takes a hand off the wheel and pulls be against his side, lazily playing with my hair.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, the unspoken feelings he has for me hanging in the air. Or, rather, the 'I am so sorry I do not feel the same way' burning on my tongue.

He smiles, "I know... it's alright. I want you to be happy, whatever that means for you." His voice drops to a whisper as Viktor and Hermione are whispering together. "I won't try and step in, because I know you're in too deep with him anyway. You love him too much... I don't want to intrude."

I close my eyes and smile, "You're an amazing person, I would've been lucky."

"You should text Draco, see how he's doing."

"I don't think I should," I admit. "When we actually start talking again, I'm afraid it'll be a fight... if that happens I don't want it to be over text."

He nods, understanding, "At least when it's face to face, it's harder to lie about your feelings."

The day passed in a blur, all of us going from place to place having fun and sharing stories, ending the outing with a couple cups of cocoa each. When we headed back, Cedric followed Viktor to the guest dorms with his clothes under his arm, Hermione and I raced back to the dorms, meeting with our friends in our respective dorm rooms.

<------To: Draco
I'll see you at the dance, right?

------->From: Draco
Yeah, see ya there.

My heart swells at the text, even though I try to quench it, and it puts a spring in my step.

...

After Hermione and I got ready, we met in the common room and picked up our dates from the guest dormitories. Viktor looked like a foreign prince with his military-esque jacket and rigid stature, his smile breaking the moment his eyes catch on to Hermione. They look like a couple you'd see in old fairytale picture books, they smile when I tell them so.

Cedric, on the other hand, is handsome in a different way. He just looks so excited and happy, bowing to me in the sappiest possible way. "Mr. Potter, may I escort you?"

"I asked you, didn't I?" I joke, breaking his formal charade.

He hooks arms with me and follows behind Viktor, holding Hermione's hand. I try my best to keep from cooing over how adorable they are.

"They are my OTP."

"Relationship goals," Cedric whispers, grinning.

"Absolutely," I chuckle.

Hermione definitely heard us, because I could see the tip of her ears redden.

...

When we arrived, the thick of the crowd was already making their way into the ballroom. Once we went to our reserved table, our group filed in piece by piece. After a few upbeat dances with my friends and a very embarrassing rendition of the macarena, I already found myself tired and the table nearly empty, everyone on the dance floor.

Cedric having left to go get punch, I scope the room in search of new faces. One in particular catches my eye. Walking over, I greet Jethro Aurick with a smile.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" I ask him, biding my time until Cedric returns.

Jethro gives his date a smile, "Casey, this is Harry Potter, the one I told you about. Harry, this is Casey Yang, my datemate."

"Personally, I prefer being called 'lover' but I guess that seems too intimate and sexual for pleasant conversation, hm?" they chuckle.

"I have to say." I admit, grinning at them. "I absolutely love what you're wearing. It's very flattering on you."

Made of a light material, the top had a halter that was tied to make it hang just below their prominent collarbones, the bell sleeves swishing with every movement. In stark contrast, the shirt and pants were relatively tight, a hole in the back of the shirt showing off the small of their back.

"Well it should be!" They laughed again, red lips contrasted against snow-white teeth. "I made it for me, after all."

Cedric soon joins me, wrapping his arm around my waist and handing me a punch glass. "Hermione met me at the punch bowl, she insisted that I beg you to dance with her."

"Okay," I grin, glancing back at the table, Hermione waves. "See ya around, you two."

...

Halfway through the slow dance with Hermione, Viktor cuts in and Cedric takes her place as my partner.

I honestly don't know what I had expected.

I thought everything would go back to the way things were before, but I suppose I must have had a lapse in judgement- or an overestimation of the situation. I cling to Cedric, fiercely keeping my eyes shut. I swallowed every scream and cry, and I suppressed the want to hug him back as his grip tightened around me, stopping on the edge of the dance floor. Of everyone to have come to the Yule Ball with, he came with Blaise Zabini.

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A.N.

Aren't you glad I uploaded this all at once? XD You didn't have to wait for the drama to unfold.

Also: Yes, I did just designate a decent portion of the chapter to introduce a gender-neutral character that will not appear ever again. Ya wanna know why? GENDER QUEER VISIBILITY AT HOGWARTS IS IMPORTANT.
(Plus the significant LACK of gender-neutral formal wear is disgusting lol So I made it up by drawing it on a particularly attractive model person. Woo!)

(If you want a more "personified" idea of how Casey looks, imagine a perfect mix of the models Willy Cartier and Courtney McCullough.)

And in this fic, the guest dorms are typically used for students who are genderqueer and uncomfortable staying in a designated dorm or students who request a more private living quarters for personal reasons (and also for the visiting Tri-Cup teams).

Okay.

-steps off my soap box-

I'm done.

(Also the OTP thing was inserted because Harry and Ced are those friends, yep. You know the ones.)