Hey guys! Here's the new chap. Please enjoy and leave feedback! Thanks!
***
Jennifer's POV-
It's only three days until the ball when I come to the realization that I don't have a dress picked out yet.
Kelsie had been hounding me on it for the past few days, quite frequently, but I'd gotten pretty good at tuning her out. But it hadn't worked out in my favor in the end, for now, I'm being carted off to Hogsmeade, when I had planned on spending my day studying for a huge assessment in charms.
"It's too cold out here. Can't we just do this tomorrow?" I whine as Kelsie drags me through the snow caked streets of Hogsmeade.
"No, this is your last chance. Don't try to get out of it."
I sigh, deciding that there's no point in fighting back.
This really is the last day I can get a dress, and if I don't use it to my advantage, then I'll probably end up going in my robes.
The two of us spend another 10 minutes or so scanning the streets for a reasonable store, and when Kelsie finally locates one that has a clump of dresses spread out by the entrance, I have no choice but to follow through the entrance behind her.
"So, what do you think you want?" She asks half consciously, gazing around in awe at all of the dresses. "Damnit, I should've gone here."
"Well, I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet." I confess, and she whips around, looking back at me as if I have two heads.
"You haven't given this any thought? At all?"
"Well, no!" I respond defensively, "You're the one who's supposed to be good at this type of thing, right?"
"Alright," She decides, tapping her finger against her chin as she surveys the collection of dresses. "I'll pick some out for you, and you go wait over there. But if you don't like any of them, just tell me. I promise I won't be offended."
I nod, laughing a little bit as I make my way over to the seating area by the waiting room.
It takes Kelsie about ten minutes to find her way to me, and when she does, she has about 15 different dresses hanging over her arm.
I shoot her a questionable look, to which she rolls her eyes.
"Look, the best colors on you would be purple, red, or blue. So I got a dress for each variation."
"And I'm supposed to try all of them on?"
She huffs impatiently at my shocked voice. "Yes! Now, you better get going if you want to study for that test in charms today."
With that thought in mind, I snatch the first dress off of her arm that's in my reach, and rush into the dressing room.
After I'm changed, Kelsie and I spend another five minutes of our time arguing whether I should go out into the seating area or she should come into the dressing room, and I only agree to come out when she threatens to lock me in the owlrey.
Luckily, the shop is near empty.
When I emerge, a purple dress embellished with sparkles enveloping my body, her jaw falls to the floor.
"That's the one."
I suck in a breath of air, turning to gaze at myself in a nearby mirror. "I don't know, I'm not sure if I like it all that much."
"What? Are you insane?" I almost laugh when I see her bewildered face peering out from behind me in the mirror. "Well I'll take it if you don't."
"Have at it." I breathe, picking up another dress off of her lap and sweeping back into the changing rooms.
In twenty minutes time, I've tried on countless dresses, made many tiring trips back and forth to the changing room, and yet, I haven't liked any of them that much so far, which was much to Kelsie's disappointment.
"That's it, right there, that's the one." She says, hope lingering in her voice. It's a dark red color and clings to my curves nicely.
"I'm not sure..." I trail off, turning sideways to examine myself in the mirror and provoking another groan from Kelsie.
Just then, the door swings open, allowing a gust of cold air to blow into the shop, and then shuts very loudly.
Both Kelsie and I look at each other questioningly, and then turn our attention toward the aisle as the sound of footsteps grow increasingly louder.
I peer out over the racks of clothing, wondering who's joined us.
"Jennifer-" Kelsie suddenly whispers, a look of horror dawning on her face. Who is she so afraid of?
My question is quickly answered when a familiar head of platinum blond hair turns the corner.
My heart quite literally stops, and my feet seem to be glued to the ground. There's nothing I can do now, and it's too late to go hide back in the dressing room.
Draco.
He stops abruptly in his tracks, and slowly turns his head, as if he's seen me. I pray that he hasn't, but my fears are confirmed when his eyes meet mine.
Both of us stand there for a few moments, unable to speak, or move, and silenced by our own shock.
My heart is pounding incredibly fast, so much so that it feels like it'll explode.
Suddenly, he looks to the ground again, and strides away, as if nothing had ever happened. My eyes remained glued to the spot he stood.
"What the hell was that." Kelsie says in disbelief. Her words form more of a statement than a question.
"I don't know..." I breathe, still paralyzed by shock. It's quiet again for a few moments, until she speaks again.
"What's going on between you two?"
Finally, I sigh, taking a seat in the chair across from her and tearing my eyes away from where Draco had been moments ago. "I don't know." My words are true. I rest my head in my hands, trying to contemplate what just happened . "I swear I don't. One minute, he's an arrogant jerk, another, he's all dark and angry and secretive, and the next, he's sort of nice and friendly-well, he was only like that once, actually. He's acting like the same person he was to me at the beginning of the year."
"Well, um-" Kelsie begins, her eyes still wide with awe, "I'm not sure if you were too busy gaping at him to realize the way he was looking at you just now, but-"
"What? No, no no." I interrupt, chuckling at her assumptions. There is no way she's right about this. "He doesn't have feelings for me, he told me. And you weren't there when he said it, he sounded pretty serious."
"And you didn't see the way he was just looking at you." She smirks, shoving her pointer finger in my face. I sit there, staring at my lap, my mind too jumbled by thoughts to form a straight one. "Now, take this dress and get in there."
***
After trying on even more dresses than we'd originally picked out, I decide on a long and tight fitting navy dress with sleeves constructed from lace that reach to my wrists. Kelsie even agrees that it's the best one I've tried on, and we quickly check out, paying with some of the galleons that Kelsie's parents supplied her with, before leaving the store.
"Thank god you picked that one off of the rack. I never would've guessed, but you look really sexy in it." She gushes as we trail down the snowy street, a garment bag draped over my arm. I playfully shove her in the side, causing both of us to break out in laughter. "Seriously, though, I might just have to go back for that purple one.
Just then, a tall figure ducks in between us, causing me to stumble off to the side a few steps. When I recover from my fall, I make the fatal mistake of looking up at the smirking face above me, and an unforgiving pit begins to grow in my stomach.
It's Blaise.
"What are you-" Kelsie begins angrily, but Blaise is quick to interrupt her.
"So, you've gone dress shopping, huh?" He sneers, grabbing for my garment bag. I try to yank it away from his reach, but he's too fast, and has no trouble ripping it out of my hands.
Blaise reaches in, lifting the fabric out. "Mmm..navy blue. Can't wait to see you in that." He smirks, shoving the bag back into my arms. I stare up at him, my ability to speak suddenly gone. "Personally, though," He starts, leaning in uncomfortably close to me, "I think you'd look better in nothing."
After hesitating for a moment, paralyzed by shock, I reach up to slap him, but he dodges out of the way, chuckling as he jogs to catch up with Flint.
"What an ass." Kelsie says as I stare down blankly at my bag.
"Can we go back now?" I sigh, exhausted by the weight of everything that's already happened today.
"Yeah, of course." She looks over at me with sympathy once more before we begin to make our long and cold journey back to the castle.
***
Draco's POV -
I yank the long sheet off of the vanishing cabinet, and it comes billowing down, arousing a storm of dust along with it.
I arrived back at the castle from Hogsmeade in the late afternoon, and it's about time I get to work on this vanishing cabinet. I'd been having more success with it recently, and it's one of the only things looking up in my life.
When I open the cabinet, I am surprised, and relieved, to see that the apple I'd left inside once before has now vanished.
I'd picked up a ring, one of considerable size, in Hogsmeade today, while at a small shop, and intended to use it to fix the cabinet.
Once I've set the ring in the cabinet, I mutter the incantation under my breath, and open the doors again with a slight creak, praying for the best results.
Thankfully, the cabinet is empty once again.
I sigh, shutting the doors and leaning back against them, my eyes drifting shut subconsciously as my mind wanders back to the clear memory of what happened in Hogsmeade today.
I haven't been able to get Jennifer off of my mind since that moment I saw her in the shop. She had looked absolutely gorgeous, so much so that I had stopped in my tracks, unable to tear my eyes from her, although it was clear that she didn't have the same opinion as I did.
I press my fingers to my temples, trying to subdue the sudden headache that has begun to pound beneath my skull. I'm terrified, too damn terrified, that I won't be able to control myself from staying away from her any longer.
***
Jennifer's POV -
"Alright, tonight, we'll be rehearsing a more formal dance, which will be the deciding factor on which pairs will serve as opening couples in the ball." McGonagall begins, clapping her hands together firmly as to gather attention and spread silence throughout the room. "This particular dance was performed at the Yule Ball, so most of you should know it."
I glance over at Josefina, cocking my eyebrows. She shoots me back a reassuring look, as if to say I'll be fine. But a pit of worry still begins to grow in my stomach. I'm not the best at picking up things quickly, especially if they involve perfect execution and coordination.
"This time, however, we will be picking your partners for you, as some of you are unable to handle picking your own." McGonagall says, shooting glares at a few select students as she does so.
Neville and I make guilty eye contact, memories of our failed first lesson surfacing in the front of my mind, and I have to purse my lips very tightly to keep myself from bursting out in laughter.
A few professors begin to pick their way through the crowd, pairing off irritated students, some of whom groan at the sight of their assigned partner. When Slughorn, one of the few professors, makes his way over to my side of the room, there are few people left to be paired up with.
"Miss Mania, how about you and..." He begins, glancing around the small area decisively, "Mister Zabini."
My heart seems to freeze at that very moment. I feel Josefina's hand on my shoulder as my insides begin to churn. Blaise approaches me with an arrogant smirk plastered across his face, his hands reaching out to grip my waist.
All I can think is that there's nowhere to go, nowhere to run, especially in a room this full of people. My breath hitches in my throat as his fingers skim under my shirt when they connect with my hips.
That's when he's shoved out of the way, stumbling back a few steps as another tall figure slides in to take his place. "Absolutely not." Draco mutters as his arm wraps around my waist, his large hand pressing to the flat of my lower back.
Josefina and Kelsie have already been swept across the room by their partners, too far away to do anything.
"Malfoy-what the hell-" Blaise begins to sputter angrily, but Draco is quick to cut him off.
"Music is going to start soon, Zabini. I suggest you find a partner." He says cooly as he takes my hand. For a moment, I stand still, looking up at him as my own shock freezes me.
"What do you think you're doing." I spit angrily under my breath as I reluctantly place my hand on his upper back.
"Saving you, yet again." He remarks, and I scoff.
Just then, the sound of music begins to play from across the room, and Draco's feet begin to move in tune with the melody.
"I don't know how to do this!" I say rather sharply under my breath, not able to follow along with his quick pace.
He stares at me blankly, although it looks as if his eyes flash with unidentifiable emotion for just a moment. "Just follow me."
Suddenly, he twirls me around very quickly, reeling me into him, so my back is pressed tightly against his chest.
"Draco," I say, my voice but a breath as his arms stay entwined through mine, "Just because I didn't want to dance with Blaise doesn't mean that this is okay."
"It's part of the dance." He says blandly, and spins me out from him once again. "Don't get too excited."
"I wasn't." I snap, even though I know I'm lying.
I have trouble understanding why my heart still hammers in my chest whenever I'm close to him, or why I can't seem to meet his eyes whenever I have the chance.
He's done and said many awful things to me, and we both know it. It's not possible for me to still feel for him, is it?
"Mania, stop staring." Draco lashes out, pulling me from my thoughts. I no longer find following in his steps difficult. It comes naturally.
"It's part of the dance." I mock him in a snooty voice, and an impatient sigh escapes his lips.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
I almost smack him, but then I remember that I can't remove my hand from his shoulder, and muster the most menacing glare I can instead.
"You're wrong with me-"
In the middle of my own words, I cut off, no longer able to speak as Draco's hands fasten around my hips, lifting me up with a strength I didn't know he had.
I quickly shut my jaw as he gently lowers me back to the ground, when I realize that it's slightly hanging open in awe.
We spend the remainder of the music quietly bantering back and forth as we carry out the steps of the dance, his hand never slipping from my waist as he guides me across the floor.
When the music cuts off, I've only managed to step on his feet 5 times, which is a record low for me.
Draco is gone again before I can glance at him twice, pacing across the room quickly to meet up with Goyle.
I huff in frustration, and stride off to find friends of my own.
"Oh. My god." Josefina states when I catch up to her and Kelsie, her eyes wide with shock and fear. "That had to be the worst thing I've ever had to do in my entire fucking existence."
"What happened?" I question, tilting my head in concern as Kelsie pats her back sympathetically. My mind, however, is still on what happened with Draco just minutes ago.
"She had to dance with Goyle." Kelsie whispers, as if she's trying to make sure Josefina can't hear. "And his hand kept on slipping down-to-well-let's just say a place where it didn't exactly belong."
I suck in a breath of air to prevent myself from laughing and vomiting at the same time.
"So, how was dancing with Draco?" Kelsie says, whispering his name as if it's a secret that no one is allowed to hear.
"Well-bad." I say, unable to get out anything else.
We begin to make our way out of the great hall as the crowd of chattering students clears, heading off to their dorms for the night.
"Did he say anything?" She asks again, Josefina still muttering a few choice words under her breath that I assume are directed towards Goyle.
I open my mouth to answer when I hear a timid voice calling my name from across the hall.
I turn to see who it is, and am surprised to find Neville standing at the end of an empty corridor.
"Can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure, I'll be there in a minute!" I call back to him, and then turn back to my two friends behind me. "You guys go on, I'll catch up with you in the dorms."
Kelsie responds with a silent nod, and we part ways as she continues towards the dungeons, and I make my way towards Neville.
"So, what's going on?" I ask, allowing a small smile when I finally reach him. He appears nervous, and I begin to wonder why.
"Well-not much." He begins, wringing his wrists in front of him. "I just have to ask you something."
"Okay, go ahead." I smile again. He seems to be looking anywhere but my eyes.
"Well-um-" He starts, and then pauses to swallow. "I was wondering - if you might like to go to the ball with me?"
My heart almost freezes in my throats when he speaks.
I'd never really thought of him as more than a friend, and I'd never have seen this coming.
The corridor seems silent, almost too silent, as I struggle to come up with a response.
"Well, don't let me bother you." An all too familiar voice drawls from behind the both of us. When I look over my shoulder, Draco is leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, an arrogant smirk tugging at his lips. "Please, go on."
I immediately feel anger blossoming in my chest, wishing I could hit him at the moment. I know exactly what he's up to, and I don't like one bit of it.
Reluctantly, I turn back to Neville, and let out a great sigh. "Listen, Neville." I begin, knowing that this won't be the slightest bit easy. "You are such a great friend to me, one of the best people I've ever met. But I just don't really think that I want to be with anyone like that right now-"
"Just-save it." He interrupts, staring at his feet intently. "I get it."
We stand there for a moment, guilt for what I've just said to Neville bubbling up inside of me, along with anger and frustration at Draco.
"I'm really sorry, Neville." I sigh, and mean it. I can almost feel Draco's eyes upon us from behind me.
"Me too." He mumbles, and brushes past me, trudging in the other direction. I can't say that I blame him.
For a moment, I pray to god that Draco won't chose to be an asshole like he usually would, but my fears are confirmed when I hear him open his mouth. I turn over my shoulder, dreading what he's about to say.
"Sorry, but, uh-" He begins, chuckling as Neville walks past him, "-Did you really think that was going to work?"
My anger turns to rage as I watch Neville pace away shamefully. Draco turns, slowly approaching me with a cocky smirk on his face, the kind that makes my fists ball up at my sides.
When he catches up to me, I reach up, slapping him across the face, so hard that the sound echoes throughout the deserted corridor.
"Why are you such a dick." I spit, demanding an answer as his face slowly turns up. My red hand print is prominent on his momentarily angered face, but he quickly recovers, brushing his cheek off slightly.
"So he's not your boyfriend after all. I was beginning to worry about your extremely low standards."
I huff angrily, and begin to storm away from him. However, his legs are longer than mine, and he's easily able to keep up with me.
"You're not really going to leave me here all alone, are you?" He says, pretending as if his feelings are hurt.
"Don't be mean to him, and don't talk to me. You're acting like Blaise." I snap.
He faults for a moment, and I can tell that he's angry that I've just compared him to Blaise. But he resumes his cocky figure in no time. "I'll do what I want, thanks."
I stop abruptly, turning to face him. "What happened to you?" I question as his eyes gaze down from above me. All that can be heard for a moment is my labored breaths. "You used to be nice to me. Well, nicer than you are now, I guess."
Something unidentifiable flashes through his eyes before he speaks again. "I told you, that was all fake."
"I still don't believe that." My words are bold. He grows closer to me, so close that his face is only inches away from mine, and I turn my eyes to the ground.
"Well you should."
And with that, he's gone, striding around the corner and down the corridor, like we had never even been here.
***
I hope you liked this! Thanks! Next few chapters will be awesome BTW, see ya soon!