Medici the Magnificent meets Hogwarts. Maria Fiore, adopted friend and sister of the Medicis, must overcome her draw to the enigmatic Francesco Pazzi. Or give in.
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On the night of the Yule Ball, Bianca lent me one of her dresses. It was pure scarlet with flowy sleeves and lace around the waist. I felt like a princess in it, but this princess had no prince. I escorted myself down to the dance because Lorenzo was occupied with his two dates and I would rather stab myself with a fork than have to play nice with Giuliano.
Professor McGonagall intercepted me before I could enter the ballroom. "There you are!" she cried. "You're late! Where is your date?"
"My date?"
She looked past me to the next arriver and growled, "You're late too, Francesco Pazzi. And where is your date? It's tradition that the champions dance first."
The blood drained my face. I hadn't known. I was just about to tell McGonagall as much when Francesco interjected.
"We came together." He snuck his arm through my elbow.
I wasn't sure, but my jaw might have gone slack. I just hoped my mouth wasn't hanging open.
McGonagall made a small noise like she didn't totally approve, but she had no choice. "Very well. We'll have to break tradition a little then. Now go! The ball is just about to start." She shoved us in behind Fleur on the arm of some boy I didn't know and Krum with Simonetta prettily fixed beside him.
The sudden rush of activity became a blur. I barely noticed the faces we passed. Surely they were all as stunned as I was to be Francesco Pazzi's date to the Yule Ball.
Before I knew it, we were standing together in the center of the all-white great hall. Music started, and a hand grabbed my waist to pull me into the first spin of the dance.
It took me a minute, but I soon found my bearings again. While we danced, I dared to ask, "Why?"
"Neither of us had dates. McGonagall would have made you dance with Giuliano probably, and everyone else is too scared to dance with me. Except you."
"You don't think I'm scared of you?"
His dark eyes bored into mine, making my toes curl as we spun again. "Are you?" he challenged.
I stammered, "I- I used to be. Not anymore."
The corner of his mouth twitched, like he might have wanted to smile. Like my admission pleased him.
We needed to change the subject. Quickly. We were entering a realm of conversation that I was afraid I wouldn't know the answers to because I didn't know my own heart yet. Two subjects came to mind, and I jumped on the safest one. "Did you try the egg?"
This time, he did smirk, and he knew full well that I was grappling for a subject change. "I did, and it worked. Now you have to tell me how you figured that out in the first place."
"To be honest, it was an accident."
"As are most things with you."
I gave him a withering look but went on with the story as we entered the latter half of the dance. "I couldn't sleep while the egg was in my room, so I put it in the bathroom out of sight. Then when I was taking a bath and reached for the towel, it got knocked in and opened up partially. I heard the music, then annoyed all my roommates because I spent about an hour drowning myself in the little tub to hear the whole song."
A genuine laugh, deep and rumbling, escaped his lips. The sound pleased me greatly, and I was even more pleased to know that I caused the sound.
"Now you just have to figure out how to breathe underwater," he said as the orchestra played the final notes.
At the same time, we said, "Bubble head charm."
"So you do pay attention in Charms," I teased with a faint smile as I peered up at him from under heavy lashes. "I was under the impression you only glared at Lorenzo and me."
He pressed his lips together, and I was tempted then to ask him why exactly he defended my honor and attacked Giuliano the other day. Part of me knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it.
He lifted my hand as the dance ended, kissing my knuckles delicately. My heart surged for some reason, and I lost my chance to ask him that burning question. He gave me one last heady look, then disappeared into the crowds.
