CHAPTER 22
Jaime sat on her bed as Hermoine tried to fix Jaime's long black hair, she was a having a bit of a hard time with Jaime's hair. "It keeps falling." Hermoine groaned.
"No one asked you to fix my hair Hermoine! You did it yourself!" Jaime said.
"Yes, because you were going to attend a party with your hair loose again!" Hermoine said as she tried to keep Jaime's hair in place, Hermoine then placed the pin at the hair. "Done!" Jaime got out of her bed and went to a mirror. She looked beautiful, she wore an emerald green dress that matches her eyes and her hair was fixed with a braid and was half up tied, her usual straight locks were slightly curled and had big, soft waves.
"Thank you Hermoine!" Jaime said.
"Now, can we go?" Ginny asked, she was getting a bit impatient as she waited for Hermoine and Jaime. The three Gryffindors left the Gryffindor common room and headed to Slughorn's party. Jaime suddenly stopped when they were still a few halls away from Slughorn's office.
"You go ahead, I'll catch up." Jaime said.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
"I still have to meet the one I invited to the party." Jaime said, "I'll see you guys there!"
"Alright." Hermoine said, then grabbed Ginny's arm, "Let's go Ginny, it's freezing out here." Hermoine and Ginny then headed to Slughorn's party, Ginny would glance at Jaime, but Jaime would just smile at her then went off to meet her guest.
Draco stood outside of the Room of Requirements, he was waiting for Jaime for a while now – it was his fault for getting ready way to early and stood outside the Room of Requiremetns for the past thirty minutes. Draco sighed as he fixed his emerald tux, it was actually similar to the one he wore during the Yule Ball, when he was searching something to wear to the party and found his tux, he actually wondered why he even have it with him, but was thankful for bringing it along. A minute passed then Draco heard the clicking of heels aproaching him, Draco turned to see who was coming his way, it was Jaime. Draco was surprised to see Jaime in such a get up, the last time he saw in such a formal yet beautiful look was during the Yule Ball, that she attended with Seamus.
"Sorry for making you late." Jaime said.
"Don't be, I came a bit too early... you look really beautiful, Jaime." Draco said.
"You look very handsome as well, Draco." Jaime smiled. Draco chuckled then offered his arm for Jaime, "Shall we? Slughorn might be sending a search party for you now if we don't get there in time." Draco joked. Jaime hooked her arm around Draco's and the both of them walked towards Slughorn's party.
"I forgot." Draco said, he got out his wand and said an incantation, "Orchideous." Draco did a circle motion on the ground, then a small bouquet of roses appeared. Jaime lets go of Draco as he bent down to get the bouquet, "For you." Draco gave the bouquet to Jaime, Jaime blushed a little when Draco gave her the bouquet, "Thank you Draco, no one has ever given me flowers before." Jaime said and she hooked her arm around Draco's again.
"Not even Finnigan during the Yule Ball?" Draco chuckled.
"Nope." Jaime said, "Never thought you'll be the gentleman type, Draco."
"I may be a jerk then, Jaime, but I'm taught to be a gentleman."
"By who?" Jaime asked.
"My Mother." Draco muttered. Jaime chuckled then smelled the roses, "Well Narcissa is a good mother then."
"I'll tell her." Draco said.
In the party, Hermoine and Ginny stood at the side, avoiding Slughorn since he's kept asking where Jaime was. Hermoine looked around and tried to spot the familiar black haired girl, but failed.
"What's taking her so long?" Hermoine asked.
"Do you think she ditched us?" Ginny suggested.
"What? No!" Hermoine said, lightly hitting Ginny at the shoulder.
"Have any of you seen Jaime?" Seamus asked, he was accompanied by Dean, who was also hiding from Slughorn.
"Does it look like we do?" Ginny said.
"Well we better find her, or Slughorn will send a search party for her." Dean said.
Just as Hermoine was about to say something the door of Slughorn's office opened and Slughorn came to welcome the new comer.
"AH! JAIME, M'DEAR! I'M SO GLAD YOU CAME!" Slughorn said, his arms open wide.
Hermoine, Ginny, Dean and Seamus went to where Slughorn was to see Jaime, but they all froze when they saw that she was accompanied by Draco.
"I was getting worried you weren't going to come – I was about to go get you myself and... I – uh – see you're accompanied by someone... Mr. Malfoy." Slughorn's mood dropped when he saw Draco standing just behind Jaime.
"Professor." Draco greeted.
"I thought you were coming with Mr. Finnigan tonight, Jaime – no offence Mr. Malfoy." Slughorn said.
"Well you already gave him an invitation, Sir." Jaime said, she took a step back and held on to Draco's sleeve.
"Well yes, yes..." Slughorn said.
"Besides, I was really planning to invite Draco to come with me." Jaime said.
"Of course, of course – please, enjoy yourselves! It's a party!" Slughorn said.
"We will, Professor." Jaime said. Slughorn then gave Jaime a big smile. "What's going on?" Parvati came to Hermoine and Ginny's side, Parvati followed their gaze and saw shocked to see Jaime with Draco. McLaggen then suddenly came with a glass of Fire Whiskey, "I can already hear the fifty Galleons dropping in to my pocket as you hand them over." McLaggen teased.
"How sure are you that Jaime and Malfoy are even dating?" Parvati questioned McLaggen.
"That my dear Parvati is the answer to your question." McLaggen said, nodding at Jaime and Draco's direction, McLaggen smirked when he saw Jaime holding on to Draco as they talk, he even saw the bouquet that Jaime was holding, he was sure that Draco gave it to her before they came.
"Take a look on what Jaime's holding" McLaggen said, Hermoine saw the bouquet of roses then turned to McLaggen, "So? It's only Malfoy being a gentleman – I mean, men give flowers to their dates – I'm sure Seamus also did that when he asked Jaime to the Yule Ball – right, Seamus?" Hermoine turned to Seamus.
"Sorry, but no." Seamus said, Seamus glared at Draco as he said something to Jaime, making her giggle.
"And if you're not yet convinced, look at that." McLaggen said. They all watched as Jaime and Draco hooked arms and were in a deep conversation, "I'll be waiting by the end of the year for my fifty Galleons, gentlemen – and ladies. If I were you I would start finding a way to earn fifty Galleons – for those who doesn't have that is." McLaggen winked at Hermoine then left to go flirt with some random girl.
Jaime and Draco were both avoiding Slughorn for two reasons: first, he was going to start a very boring conversation and second, he can't hide his fear and discomfort and unliking for Draco. Jaime and Draco both just stayed at the corners of the room, they even passed Blaise, who's date was Pansy – of course they both received glares from the Slytherin couple.
"Sorry about Slughorn." Jaime said to Draco.
"Don't – it's only natural of him to act like that when I'm around." Draco said.
"But it's still not right – by the way, where's Hermoine and Ginny?" Jaime looked around.
"We're over here, Jaime." Hermoine pat Jaime at the shoulder.
"Hermoine! Ginny!" Jaime greeted.
"Jaime!" Ginny smiled, but when she saw Draco, her smile turned to a slight frown, "Malfoy."
"Weasely. Granger" Draco acknowledged Ginny and Hermoine.
"Malfoy." Hermoine greeted, "By the way, Jaime, you really surprised Slughorn."
"Why?" Jaime asked.
"You know." Ginny nodded at Draco, "No offence, Malfoy."
Draco sighed, but didn't leave Jaime's side. "He was going to send someone after you when you were a bit late." Hermoine said.
"I was planning not to attend." Jaime muttered. Hermoine hit Jaime at the shoulder, "Really? And leave me and Ginny here in the party?"
"Mind you Jaime, but you're also part of the Slugclub." Ginny vomited mentally when she said the little club she and her friends were dragged along to.
"Slugclub?" Draco asked, "A club of Slughorn's favorites?"
"Yes – please, don't call us that though." Jaime groaned, "It's disgusting and embarrassing."
Draco chuckled and drank his Fire Whiskey. Draco looked around from where he was standing, he could still see Pansy and Blaise glaring at him and Jaime and at the other side of the room was Seamus taking glances at them, but the worst part was Slughorn coming their way.
"Jaime, we better go." Draco said.
"What? Why?" Jaime asked.
"Slughorn."
"Oh – I'll see you two later!" Jaime said as she and Draco made another escape. Slughorn came just before Hermoine and Ginny made their escape as well.
"Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasely – I thought I saw Jaime here – by the way, have I ever told you the tale when I met the Holyhead Harpies' Captain? I was actually her teacher here in Hogwarts! My, she was also part of our little circle!" Slughorn began his tale, boring Hermoine and Ginny to death.
Draco and Jaime went to the other side of the room, laughing from their little escape. Draco then took two glasses of Fire Whiskey from a waiter (a student) and handed one to Jaime, "Thank you." Jaime said and then drank her Fire Whiskey with Draco.
"Jaime!" Seamus came.
"Seamus!" Jaime jumped, and then reached for Draco's sleeve.
"I was really worried – I thought you weren't coming." Seamus said.
"I was planning too." Jaime muttered.
"Listen Jaime, I was wondering if you want to – you know – hang out during the holidays?" Seamus asked. Draco glared at Seamus, he reached for Jaime's hand.
"Sorry, Seamus, but Harry and I are planning to spend the holidays together." Jaime said.
"Just for a day?"
"No, sorry..." Jaime said, "Well, we have to go – come one Draco." Draco nodded and lead Jaime away from Seamus and to somewhere else. When they were in a safe distance away from Seamus, Jaime breathed and Draco asked the most obvious question, "What's with Finnigan anyway? Why won't he stop asking you on dates?"
"Don't know – but I guess it started when I agreed to go with him to the Yule Ball, he didn't stop. Harry actually punched him – broke his nose actually – when Seamus tried to ask me out on a date for fifth time, and for the fifth time I rejected him." Jaime sighed.
"I see he's a very persistent man." Draco said, glaring at Seamus' direction.
"Hey, Draco, you want to get out of here?" Jaime asked.
"And where are we going?" Draco asked.
"Anywhere." Jaime shrugged.
"Sure." Draco followed Jaime as they made an escape. They quietly left the party unnoticed by Slughorn, and ran out of the corridors – Jaime even took off her heels to run faster. They both ended up in the Room of Requirements, panting, the doors of the Room closed.
"Never thought it would be chilly here." Jaime thought out loud, she quickly went to the fireplace and got out her wand, "Incendio!" the fireplace was lit and Jaime went closer to get some warmth. Draco joined Jaime by the fire and tried to get some warmth.
"That feels good." Jaime sighed. Draco turned to Jaime and noticed that her dress wasn't really made for the cold, Draco smiled and took off his coat and placed it on Jaime's shoulders.
"Draco, you don't have to." Jaime said, handing back his coat.
Draco took it from Jaime's hand and placed it back on her shoulders, "My clothes are a bit warm, yours aren't actually made for the cold."
"Thank you." Jaime said.
"By the way, where are your shoes?" Draco asked.
"Over there." Jaime pointed her thumb behind her. Draco chuckled and just leaned closer to the fire.
"What's it like dancing with Parkinson?" Jaime suddenly asked.
"What?" Draco turned to her confused.
"Just want to know – I mean you guys did started dating after the Yule Ball, right?" Jaime said, a hint of sadness was heard.
"Dunno – never really thought of it – but she did look silly with her pink dress then." Draco chuckled, Jaime laughed.
"Yeah, she can be seen a mile away with her dress then – and she really didn't match your dress robes then." Jaime said.
"What about you? How was dancing with Finnigan?" Draco asked.
"It was good – he stepped on my foot five times." Jaime said.
"That hurts." Draco winced at the thought.
"It does – do you know how heavy his feet were?" Jaime laughed.
"And his robes really didn't matched your dress then." Draco said.
"Oh really? What was I wearing then?" Jaime turned to Draco.
"It was an emerald green dress that's much longer than the one you're wearing now and it really matched your eyes then." Draco said, "And from what I remembered, Finnigan's robes were a bit similar to Weasely's." Jaime and Draco laughed at the memory of Ron's dress robes. Their laughter died after a while, then a thought came across Draco's mind.
"Let's dance." Draco said.
"What?" Jaime asked.
Draco got on his feet and dusted his pants, he got out a hand for Jaime, "Since we both had a not so memorable Yule Ball, why not we make up for our bad dance?" Jaime took Draco's hand and got on her feet. Draco then turned to the radio above the fireplace and turned it on, and just in time a good song was being played, Draco turned to Jaime again and got out his hand.
"May I have this dance?" Draco asked.
"You may." Jaime placed her hand on Draco's. Draco then lead Jaime to the center of the room, he placed his hand on her waist while the other held her hand and Jaime placed her free hand on Draco's shoulder. As the music played, Jaime and Draco danced, their eyes never left each other's gaze and their feet going along the song.
"You're light on your feet." Draco said.
"You're not bad yourself." Jaime smiled.
The song ended and changed to another song. Jaime laughed when she heard the song, she took both of Draco's hands and took the lead. They swayed and danced like little fools, laughing and almost tripping, just before the song ended, Jaime hugged Draco, but didn't stop swinging with the song.
"Back then, whenever I'm sad, Harry would turn on the radio and would ask me to dance with him..." Jaime smiled at the memory of Harry and her dancing around in their little room in Privet Drive and Uncle Vernon would yell at them for the noise. Draco just let Jaime have her arms around him the whole night they danced and he kept arms around her as well, never letting go.