❝ The Yule ball. ❝
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Students and staff alike paraded the entrance of the Great hall, its entrance still closed from being entered and people waiting for eight. Eyes trained on a certain Slytherin seventh year who mindlessly didn't care, to be completely honest. Of the stares, not the Ball. Noticing that Fleur hasn't arrived yet, she walked towards Cedric who is unaccompanied and waving his hand with a gentle smile.
"You look gorgeous, Aurora." Cedric compliments, his hands now clasped together in front of him as he awaited for his date.
"You clean up nice as well." Aurora chuckles as she fixes the gloves on her hand which she forced herself to wear, its silk white linen matches coordinating to the dress she wore for tonight. In doing so, she caught eyes with her friends who was mindlessly talking. At some point, Daphne smacked Elias on the top of his head making him frown and fix his gelled blonde hair.
Beneath gloves, Aurora didn't need a reason for anyone to see of what she did when she was thirteen years old. How the Cruciatus curse became so terrible on her health, she convinced herself to end it all with a slice of a knife and hoped to bleed out on the tiled floor. Stained with scarlet red, her mother found her and immediately began healing without hesitation. Aurora was sure she lost her sanity that summer and told no one of it, didn't want them to judge her actions based on the emotions she felt at the time.
"I heard your date and mine were getting ready in the Ravenclaw common room." Cedric says, stepping forward as he is now standing alongside with Aurora who frowns, fixing her posture at that while looking around.
"How can you tell?"
Cedric shrugs, eyes glued on his date who was walking with Fleur Delacour and the pair causing untimely attractions from people they walked pass. "I just can." Aurora follows his gaze and now felt the nervousness struck her airway but remained compose. While he went over to greet Cho halfway, a silly grin on his lips, Aurora looks away for a second to get a hold of herself.
"Happy birthday, mon amant." Fleur smiles widely, risking a limb when she plants a warm kiss on Aurora's cold cheek prior to the cold winter day.
"We've been on one date." Aurora arches an eyebrow teasingly, her head tilted to the side in attempt to throw the Beauxbaton champion off. Which worked, of course. Fleur learned to be vulnerable and failed to overcome Aurora's soothing and alluring voice.
"Technically, two. This counts as a date, no?" Fleur let her slim arm drape around Aurora's who doesn't protest, admired that they have nothing to fear. If Fleur can face off a dragon, what can obnoxious students do to her?
"Oh, good! Miss Delacour, Black," The pair turns when their names called. Professor McGonagall wore dress robe of red tartan, coming up to their party which is now joined with Cedric and Cho. "Diggory, you four stay near the doors. Do not enter, you wait for me." She instructs and they agree.
Seemingly not bothered by Fleur's date, Aurora glances shortly to the professor who walked past them as she and Fleur walks towards the grand doors. Somehow, Aurora wanted to know if Minerva was having prejudice thoughts of who Aurora is in life. The need of approval by somebody besides her convict of a father is there in her empty heart.
"You okay?" Fleur nudges her side lightly, sensing Aurora's silence as discomfort but that wasn't the case at all.
"I just, um. . ." Aurora shook her head, kept her posture bright and formal. They were the closest to the doors with Cedric and Cho behind them, talking to possible friends. "It's ridiculous." She didn't want to say that she missed her dad. Between Christmas, her eighteenth birthday and the Yule ball, Aurora felt so lost of touch in her family.
"You can tell me anything." Fleur assures with a polite and sweet smile, brushing her palm on Aurora's who calms in little to none.
"Maybe another time. The ball is about to begin."
Fleur looks back and sees Harry with his date, he seemed to be searching for someone. Then Fleur turns to Aurora who was staring at her, they both smile like children. "Never do that," said the Delacour.
"Do what?" Aurora laughs genuinely, it reached her friends ears who warmly smiled at the sight of her so happy.
"Smile like I'm the only person in the room."
"If I focus long enough, you're the only one that matters." Aurora says lowly, not aiming for anyone else to hear but the girl who holds her arm securely in a tangle against her own.
Hearing Professor McGongall instruct the students to get inside and find their seats, Fleur paid no attention and almost forgot that they are to attend an important ball. In doing so, Aurora lead them both to stand in front of the large opened archway, giving her a sly wink before looking forward.
"Just follow where I go." Professor McGonagall says, taking her last look of the line formed behind her. Then she relaxes a bit, eyes settling on the female pair in the very front. "Happy birthday, Aurora." She smiles warmly, a motherly affect that shortly struck the Slytherin student.
Fleur can't help but break into a smile again and walked forward as Minerva did, having to pull her date with her incase she would remain still behind. Loud claps echoed in the Great hall, plenty whistled and cheered verbally as the Triwizard champions enter, some waved hands and most remained perfectly composed like Fleur is.
They were directly lead to the table where the judges and where Professor Dumbledore sat, a large and circular table that had enough seats for everyone. Aurora pulled a seat besides Cedric for Fleur who thanks her, sitting down with no worries and back straight and both hands on her lap, below the table. The only person who didn't pull a chair for their date was Harry who absentmindedly sat down besides Percy Weasley who gestured him to.
Talking freely as the opening feast began, Fleur finds Cedric socially friendly and charming that made her genuinely laugh by his attempts to a conversation as they are sat together. Aurora warning him not to tell anything that would embarrass her but was pulled quickly away by Hermione who sat on her right. Then she shook hands with Krum.
Everyone seemed surprised by how much Hermione Granger changed drastically under the span of a week just for the ball. Her naturally buck front teeth shrinking into a normal size that Aurora noticed but didn't point out. Secretly, Hermione thanked Aurora for giving her rightful confidence to accept Krum's offer to the ball.
Apparently, Aurora's determination to go with Fleur despite prejudices of the image encouraged Hermione to go with what she wants and pay little mind to the people who judges from far. Despite it — even — Hermione is still reluctant of Fleur who spoke what comes in her mind freely whether or not it's a good thing. Hermione saw Aurora and Fleur's hand interlocked when the Black leans back on her chair, talking to Cho, Cedric and Fleur freely.
Having finished eating, Dumbledore instructs the champions to descend back to the large open space of the Great hall for the opening dance. It began with Viktor Krum standing up with his date, both of them first to head to the dancefloor where all students from three schools awaits eagerly. Then to Cedric who offers his arm to Cho as she stood, both of them walking together.
Harry watches as his cousin rise from her seat, sending him a smile that he got this. Aurora knew he was nervous to dance as he did not know how to. As much as she could, Aurora taught him but it always began and ended with Harry stepping on her feet so he declared not to do it again because he can't do it and kept hurting her.
Aurora offers her free hand to Fleur who accepts, both of them descended down a small steps of staircase in following of the other champions. "Care to keep up with me?" Fleur grins, both of them facing one another with space between them.
"Oh, darling." Aurora chuckles mischievously, shaking her head in an amused way.
The music began just as Fleur blushed lightly by such name, placing her her left hand on Aurora's shoulder and the right holding the Black's right hand as well. They both dance accordingly, enjoying the moment and became obvious when they both smiles under white lights and mistletoes from high ceilings.
In respective tables and seats, Draco mutters something to his date — Pansy Parkinson — who laughs visibly that it made many students glare at them for being too loud. Then Draco's skin goes cold when he sees Professor Moody from across the room, giving him a somewhat scowl that made him look down in fear of being turned into a ferret.
"'ey, Malfoy." Elias leaned forward behind him, his arms resting between Draco and Pansy's seat, head peeked to him. "If you make a comment about Aurora again, I'll do worse than turn you into a ferret and actually make it hurt." He whispers darkly and Draco forgot that Elias Grant is part of a family where they'd study under the guise of Dark arts.
"It's quiet." Fleur whispers, knowing that Aurora's the only person close enough to hear as they continue to dance. People stared and she was already used to it being a quarter veela herself. Still, it was making her nervous and Fleur didn't know why. Perhaps it was how Aurora held her right hip and how she would guide to twirl her in unison as the other champions would.
"It's a dance, Delacour, of course it'll be quiet." Aurora chuckles quietly, taking in large steps per how Fleur moved.
"Why do you call me that," asked Fleur with a frown.
"Why — It's your name, of course." Aurora matches her frown before outstretching her hold away from Fleur who returns the gesture. They soon held hands again, moving left and right by the music. Then Aurora stiffly smile, speaking truthful the next. "Okay, Fleur. Would you join me later tonight?" She asks.
"Where to?"
"Just a walk." Aurora and Fleur's contact dispersed. They've resembled the other champions and their dates perfectly, stopped and looked at one another when the music stopped. Harry almost tripped and took two steps backwards, provoking embarrassment to his date — Parvati Patil.
Then Aurora dips her head down, eyes glued on her heels and heard the scattered clap from every direction. She brings her gaze back up, meeting Fleur's delicate blue eyes. "I enjoy spending time with you." Aurora admits with sincerity in tone.
Fleur breathlessly smiles, little to no effort in amazing her date who didn't budge even when many students joined in on the dancefloor, decreasing their free and open space. Then Aurora took both her hands once more.
"As long as it counts as a third date." Fleur said over the music and made Aurora beam a smile she's never done before.