Aurum was absolutely beaming that day like a ray of sunshine. Nothing could cloud it, she was that positively happy and bursting to the brim with grins and flowery messages for all. At the rate she was going, she could lighten anybody's day.
Today was the day she would ask Harry Potter, the bravest, most kind boy to the Yule Ball. Draco had already asked Hermione who had to refuse due to an earlier invitation(Aurum helped to mend his pride), and Ronald Weasley had attempted to ask Aurum for—something, he was stuttering and stammering so hard she couldn't truly figure out what he meant, but Aurum was bound to ask Harry.
It had been her dream since she was younger to date and then marry the boy. She had heard the wild stories Pearl Creste had spun about him and his parents. About James and Lily's adventures and that one day Aurum might be like that with Harry. In fact, she already had names picked out. Perhaps Ruby Remus Potter? Or Sirius Remus Potter? Perhaps even Sapphire Chantelle Potter. She didn't know, it hadn't happened yet. She wished time could fly and unite them soon.
But for today, she had to settle for a date to a dance. Hermione who had been talking to Draco after his question informed Aurum that Harry was at the Owlery. She forgot to mention something, however. It simply slipped her mind.
Harry was asking another girl.
Aurum and the rest of the HPFC were not very fond of Cho Chang, the fifth year Ravenclaw. She was in their way, and though Aurum did attempt to stop more of the nasty things from being said and spread, she wasn't able to curb their minds to her thinking pattern of the girl whom she thought was just not someone who'd be interested in Harry. That was that.
Nevertheless, Aurum bounced up the stairs to the Owlery tower. It was there that her heart dropped. She had expected to see Harry alone, not with Cho. The blonde hid behind a tower and listened into the conversation.
"I'd like to invite you to the Yule Ball—as my date, I mean." Harry chuckled awkwardly. Aurum loved that breathless chuckle of his.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't go. Not with you, at least." Cho apologized, making Aurum perk up again. "Cedric already asked."
"Okay. That's fine." Harry ended the conversation with a sting of pain, leaving Cho to descend the stairs back to the halls.
Aurum took the opportunity to stop Harry on his way down. She slid between the two seamlessly. She pushed the hair out of her eyes so that she could see his almond-emerald eyes and he could see her gumdrop-chocolate ones.
"Hey, Harry Potter, Triwizard Champion! How are you?" she asked with enough pep in her voice to make a cheerleader keel over. Confusing her completely, Harry looked aggravated at this.
"If you're getting ready to ask me out just so you can go with a champion, you can forget it. For the last time, no!" Harry squinted, his voice powerful. "I don't care if you want to be the belle of the ball, I'm not interested in anybody else's fantasies!"
Aurum stepped back, stumbling a little as she fell a step. Her expression was hurt and fully unaware of whatever it was he was talking about. She couldn't even speak. Instead, she cried and ran off, leaving him atop the stairs despite his calls for her to come back.
There she lay in the Slytherin common room, her head in a pillow. She had stopped crying after her brother(who miraculously was cured of his dragon pox) called her a crybaby. She wasn't afraid to admit that. Draco took offense, however, and stunned Argentum. Aurum was strangely okay with this.
Suddenly, Draco sat on Aurum's hindend. She let out a shriek of being startled moreso than hurt.
"I'm not getting up until you get over him." Draco threw his head up with a pretentious air.
"He's just so perfect, Draco! He's a really nice guy." she complained. "He just got rejected, give him a break."
"No he's not! He sucks. I'm not giving him anything. Didn't you see that stupid professor turn me into a ferret for him?" Draco spat.
"Well, right after that you turned into a wolf and nearly bit his head off, so I don't think you lost too much pride." Aurum laughed.
"He slipped me down your blouse, Aurum." Draco growled, completely serious. Aurum managed to sneak a snicker without his notice.
"It was funny." Aurum mumbled, blushing.
"Creste, he's caused me so much strife. I hate him and he hates me." Draco moaned.
"Maybe if we date, I can be the bridge. Wouldn't you like to be friends with someone famous?"
"Not one who flaunts it. That Goblet was rigged."
"Obviously. Still, I think he's nice, and maybe if you got to know him like on a double date with Hermione, we could all be friends."
"Are you suggesting a new pack?" Draco bore a wide and cunning grin.
"Perhaps."
"I like the cut of your jib, Creste. Nevertheless, he was a massive jerk to you." Draco's mood became sour. "I don't think I could be friends with someone who made you cry."
"I cry at everything." Aurum rolled her eyes.
"True, true." Draco nodded, thinking. "Still, he was rude, and I'm not letting you date him." Draco rose to his feet.
Aurum sat up, massaging her bottom. "Okay, dad." she sassed.
Draco pointed to her as he walked out of the portrait. "That's Mr. Malfoy to you," he said.
Aurum managed a smile and bounced away with him to the library where Draco was wanting to check out another muggle book. He was going to try Of Mice and Men since he had heard it was about a spoiled friendship. Aurum somehow got the feeling that it might actually be all sunshine and rainbows.
Once they had gotten to the library and settled down, Argentum sat across from the two with a loud plop as he nestled himself into his seat. The other two were quite taken aback.
"Aur, what's your cute friend's name?" Argentum asked in a hurry. He was sweating profusely and must have run a long way to catch up. "Sorry, I'm not used to running. We just apparate everywhere in Durmstrang."
"Well, apparently this is Draco, my future brother-in-law." Aurum joked with a snicker, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. He was cracking up as well.
"No, your Beauxbatons friend. Her name? She's pureblood?"
"Chantelle Chandeliere. Yes, the Chandeliere family is a famous French pureblooded family." Draco answered before Aurum could open her mouth.
"Okay, I like her, then. I'm taking her to the ball."
"You're just going to take her to the ball because she's friends with me?" Aurum asked, baffled.
"Or because she's pureblood?" Draco scoffed, unbelieving of Argentum's purism.
"Of course! I've had so many girls—and guys—who have asked me to the ball. It was just like, man, I want to go with someone I know at least a little bit. Not some random Hogwarts girl who thinks she can get on the arm of a Champion because it'll make her look cool." Argentum explained.
Aurum looked down at the table, pondering over Harry who had the same situation. "Yeah, I see." she looked back up at her brother. "So you need a letter of recommendation or something?"
"No, I can find her with a spell unless she's protected herself. That's the beauty of dark arts. Reveals people's secrets no matter how illegal." Argentum set off to find Chantelle.
As Draco and Aurum neared the Slytherin common room, they spotted Harry Potter by his lonesome in front of the portrait.
"Pureblood!" Harry shouted.
The portrait rolled her eyes. "For the last time, Mr. Potter, the passwords change every week and today it is just not 'pureblood'!" she stomped a heeled foot. "Go back to Gryffindor or wait on those Slytherins!" she waved him away.
Harry turned around to see the Slytherins she spoke of. He smiled at Aurum, but dropped it as soon as he remembered what he did to her.
"Um, look, I know I was a jerk earlier—" Harry started, scratching the back of his head.
"Yes, that's very accurate." Draco crossed his arms, his eyes fiery.
"Aurum, I'd just like to say I'm sorry for the outburst and the more I thought about it, I realized that you're not the type to ask someone out because they're famous." Harry apologized. Aurum nodded though she had to admit, deep down that was a part of it.
"It's okay." Aurum shrugged with a small smile.
"So would you like to go with me to the ball?" Harry tried to hide part of his blushing cheeks by putting a hand over it.
Aurum stepped forward, but Draco pulled her back. "Don't take his pity. I know he was under stress but that was no excuse for him to lash out at you like that." he harshly whispered, worry in his voice and silver eyes.
"Draco, I'm never going to get this chance again." Aurum begged.
"Fine." he let her go, his expression understanding.
Aurum walked up to Harry. She grinned from ear to ear as she said something that made Draco's eyes widen.
•••••
Author's Note: le gasp! What do you guys think she said? We'll find out in the next chapter :3