Harry was just glad to have survived his dragon encounter. He held his golden egg up for the crowd of Slytherin's who praised him for making their house look good by managing to win the event.
Draco and Jade were of course nearby celebrating with the rest of the room although due to the huge crowd they couldn't get a word in.
From the back of the crowd someone yelled. "Open it?!?"
Harry hadn't tried opening it yet. It was supposed to be a clue right? Something to help him figure out and plan for the next task. He decided to oblige the person who had made the outburst. He twisted the top of the egg and it hissed as it opened up.
The students didn't even have a chance to quiet down for the clue before there was a bursting loud noise. A screech erupted from the golden egg so loud and piercing that all of the people present covered their ears against it.
"Turn it off!?" Wailed numerous Slytherin's. "Make it stop?!"
Finally Harry closed it. He turned toward his friends. "What was that?"
"Banshee?" Draco suggested.
Jade shuddered. "Whatever it was. It sure didn't sound friendly."
"Well we have a few months to figure it out." Harry says. "The next task isn't until February."
Time skip
Harry and Draco are enjoying a meal and talking about their holiday plans when Professor Snape strolled over to them. "Potter, Malfoy." He starts.
Draco nods. "What professor?"
Snape crossed both his arms and glanced down the table to make sure nobody was listening. "I don't suppose either of you are aware about the yule ball?"
"Ball sir?" Harry questions.
Snape nods slightly. "A dance mister potter." He glances over them. "I was asked to hold a meeting with the Slytherin students but... this sort of thing isn't really my cup of tea." He mumbles.
"A meeting?" Draco questions.
"Students planning to attend the yule ball will need to learn to dance and of course they will need to know what the traditions are." Snape replies. "I expect you both to spread the word. I will meet students in my classroom. Anyone who is late will not be permitted to go so I expect you two to show up on time. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir." They both say in unison.
As he strides away Harry and Draco face each other, both of them with the same question in mind. What exactly was a yule ball? Neither of them was aware that Hogwarts had dances let alone something that sounded so important. Harry was actually sort of sure someone had mentioned it before although he hadn't really been listening.
Well the next day they got their answer.
McGonagall stood before the students waiting for everyone's excited chattering to die down so she could speak. Harry and a handful of Slytherin's, including his friends, all arrive seemingly last but as they get situated Hermione and Ron enter the room.
Harry could tell she was slightly upset, most likely because she was late and she hated to be late to anything.
"Miss Firegem..." McGonagall says pointing and waving her hand dismissively. "You're too young dear. Only fourth years or above will be attending unless asked by an older student."
A handful of people left because they realized they were not old enough to attend the ball. Jade frowns to herself and starts to head out
"Wait..." Harry says.
Jade pauses and waits for Harry to speak.
The professor turns toward Harry. "Yes mister Potter?"
Harry nods toward Jade. "You said she can't go unless asked by an older student, correct?"
McGonagall shakes her head in a yes fashion. "I did."
"Don't you think perhaps, given her friend circle that someone fourth or up might ask her?" Hermione interjects. "I mean considering she is friends with only students who are old enough to attend."
Harry nods gratefully to Hermione for understanding the point he was trying to make. "Exactly."
"Fair point." McGonagall says straightening herself. "Alright you may stay for now."
"So what are we doing exactly?" Draco asks, seeing Snape lingering in the back of the room.
"Dancing of course." She quips. "After all, the yule ball is a dance. You will of course wear nice dress robes and I expect you all on your best behavior." She glances around the room resting her eyes on the Slytherin students. "I don't think I could be any more clear."
Snape steps forward and crosses his arms. "And I don't think I need to explain what will happen if anyone should ruin the evening."
"Yes sir." The children say.
"Fantastic." McGonagall says. "Now with that out of the way let's practice. Everyone pair up for now and watch as we demonstrate." She turns to Snape who gives her a cold look.
"No." He says firmly.
She scans the crowd and points at Ronald. "Ok mister Weasley thank you for volunteering."
"What?" He questions. He had been laughing at a joke his brothers had said and hadn't been paying attention. Suddenly he was pulled up front with his brothers laughing at him.
Harry takes a deep breath. "I'm glad she didn't pick me, that's so embarrassing."
"Put one hand on my shoulder like this." She instructed to Ron.
Harry realized everyone was already pairing up and he was losing choices. He turned to see Neville about to ask Hermione but he was too nervous and someone else swept in and nabbed her first.
Draco had been about to suggest jade ask him or harry but Faith and Pansy stepped over between them and interrupted.
"I will be your dance partner." Faith says reaching for Draco's hand.
"No thanks..." Draco replies, moving his hands behind his back and away from Faith.
At that moment jade hadn't heard Draco reply to faith so she thought he had not turned her down she was going to push past the other students and tell faith Draco was with her but as she started to move she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Neville looking at her.
"Neville?" She questions.
"Everyone is already in pairs." He says quietly. "I know you probably wanted someone from your own house but it looks like everyone is already taken."
Jade nods. "Come with me." She leads Neville over to her friends. "Malfoy." Jade says.
Draco looks up at first relieved but when he sees Neville he frowns. "Why did you bring Longbottom over here?"
"He asked me to be his partner for practice." She says.
"See, she has a partner." Faith quips. "So take me up on my offer alright?"
"I would rather dance with potter than with you." Draco grumbles. He hadn't meant to say it but it was out there now. Too late to take it back.
Faith scoffs at Draco and then looks at her friend Pansy "guess it's just you and me then."
As the two girls leave, Harry breathes with relief. "Oh good, I did not want to have to tell her no."
Draco frowns at Jade. "So you chose Neville then?"
"I'm sorry I just saw her alone and I didn't want her to get stuck without a partner." Neville defends. "I thought you were dancing with faith or I wouldn't have asked."
"No, it's fine..." Draco mumbles. "I was just wanting to make sure she had a partner because she is my friend."
Neville smiles and bows slightly to them before making his way to a spot where they can practice.
"At least he is from Hogwarts." Harry jokes.
Draco shoots him an annoyed look.
"Ok everyone." McGonagall says now that she finally has Ron corrected she can show everyone else. "Hand on shoulder and one hand on the hip." She instructs. "Like so."
The children copy although some partners are a bit wary that they have no idea what they are doing and for most of them it's really the first time they have ever held someone else.
Draco is trying really hard to act like it's not a big deal that he got stuck dancing with harry. He tries not to look directly at him and just pretends he is elsewhere.
"Oww?!" Harry grumbles. "You stepped on my toe. You don't have to look at me but could you at least do the dance part correctly?"
"Sorry." Draco mumbles shifting his pose. He was distracted watching Neville and Jade.
Harry frowns. "You seem distracted."
"You think?" Draco mumbles. "D-did you know she has eyes for you?"
"What, who?" Harry questions.
"Jade does." Draco said kind of frowning again. "She sure has a funny way of showing it though."
"Wait, are you sure?" Harry questions. He knew jade had a crush on Malfoy it was obvious, but for some reason Malfoy was the only one who didn't know. "What did she say exactly?"
"Well I kind of accused her of snogging Krum in the forest and she told me she liked someone else... I asked if he was from Hogwarts and she said yes and I know it's not Crabbe or Goyal so it has to be you." He glances at Jade again and raises an eyebrow. "Unless it's not a Slytherin..."
"Will you quit?!" Harry growls.
"Did I step on your toes again?" He asks.
"No, quit being jealous of her other friends." Harry grumbles. "You need to tell her the truth about how you feel before she starts to date someone else and then you explode."
Draco frowns "oh I couldn't she doesn't want me." He replies.
"Are you kidding?" A voice next to them says. It was Hermione hiding in the Slytherin crowd to escape her dance partner. "She has eyes for you and you only. She talks about you all the time."
"She does?" Draco questions.
At that moment her dance partner spots Hermione talking to Harry and Draco and he starts over toward them.
Hermione panics. "Please." She motions toward Harry. "I will explain later."
Hermione steals Harry away as the young man arrives and they spin into the crowd and disappear.
The young man glances at Draco who is now alone. "Guess we are both alone." He chuckles and extends his arm.
Draco narrows his eyes. "No."
The other teen backs up, turns, and walks away.
Draco watches jade dancing with Neville. Did she really like him? If she does then why not just tell him? He steps toward them.
While continuing to practice Neville sees Draco coming. "I thought you were practicing with Harry?"
Draco nods. "He is otherwise occupied." Motioning toward Hermione.
"Oh?!" Neville stops dancing. "What happened to that other guy?"
"Don't know, don't care." Draco says. He extends his hand for Jade as he was about to ask if he could cut in.
Snape makes an appearance now. "Mister Malfoy."
Draco turns toward Snape. "Yes sir?"
"If you want to practice by yourself that's fine but try not to interrupt others while they are practicing." Snape says, raising an eyebrow toward Neville.
"Oh I wasn't." Draco starts but the stern look Snape gives him makes him panic and forget what he had been going to say. "Sorry." He bows slightly and walks to the back of the room to practice by himself.
"Continue." Snape says turning away.
After the dance lessons the group head back to the commons and work on their class studies. Harry puzzles about the egg clue for the next task but still hasn't figured out what it means.
Draco wonders if he should tell Jade about his feelings for her or if he should wait till she tells him first.
"Should we have done something about that other guy?" Harry asks.
"What?" Draco asks, coming out of his daydream.
Harry shrugs slightly. "The guy Hermione was dancing with." He says setting his quill down on the table. "I mean he was being rude to her."
Draco pouts slightly. "It's not our problem plus she can handle herself."
Jade frowns slightly. "I kind of agree with Draco. Whatever he did to her I'm sure she is more than capable of dealing with it herself." She glances at the other two before returning to her school work. "But if someone grabbed my rear I would have sent a pox on him."
Harry kind of laughs. "Speaking of dancing though... How was Neville?"
Jade nods. "He was nervous. He seemed to think Malfoy was going to hex him. Apparently word has gotten around the school that Draco is trying to control me." She glances up at Draco. "Other students are starting to talk about you. They say you're a control freak. I heard someone else defend you though... she said you don't have any siblings so you probably consider me your sister and you are just over protective."
Harry glances at Draco. "People think you want a sister." He says quietly.
Draco frowns slightly, setting his quill down. "It isn't like that..."
"I think it makes sense." Jade says before Draco can finish. "I don't have any siblings either so I can understand wanting to accept me as a sister since I technically live with you."
Draco sits up a little and looks at Harry then at Jade. "Listen, it is a little more complicated than that." He takes a moment to think about everything before continuing. "I like you. I just thought maybe you didn't like me back or maybe I'm just afraid you won't like me once you get to know me."
Jade laughs slightly. "But I already know you." She looks back at her work again, dipping her quill in the little ink jar. "I like you too."
Draco nods. "So what do we do now?"
Jade shrugs slightly. "I don't know."
Harry chuckles slightly. "Finally. Now that it's all out in the air, can we talk about the dance?"
"What about it?" Draco questions.
"Firstly we all need nice dress robes." Harry says. "Secondly, as one of the four champions I will have to open the dance."
"You need a partner for that." Draco says. "Who will you ask?"
Harry shrugs. "I don't know." He thinks for a moment. "There are a few girls I wouldn't mind taking." He thought about a few Ravenclaw girls he liked. He also thought about asking Hermione but he figured Ron or Neville probably already asked her.
Draco looks at Jade and clears his throat. "Well I would like to take you... if you're interested." He says to her.
"Mister Malfoy, are you asking me on a date?" She replies.
Draco blushed slightly. "I suppose I am."