The Eighth Weasley

The yule ball

My reflection stared back at me. I looked beautiful. I had on a emerald green silk dress. It flowed all the way down to my ankles and had a slit on one of the sides. I was about to make Harry regret not asking me sooner. To my left sat ginny in a mint green ball gown with pink underskirts and on my right hermione stood in a gorgeous gown of pink ombré. Ron was really about to regret not asking her. Together we made our way down the stairs and Neville took Ginny in his arms and began to walk her to the hall. I had told Harry to meet us at the entrance to the great hall so that me and hermione could have a dramatic entrance.

We arrived at the stairs before the great hall, she could tell that I was nervous so she went first. I could hear the gasps as she walked out. I took a deep breath and stepped out into the light, beginning my descent down the stairs. Ron's date Padma turned around and said "she looks beautiful"
"She does." Ron smiled. Harry, however was distracted and suddenly everything I had been worrying about became true. The girl he was so stunned by was cho Chang which confirmed what draco told me. I felt a lump rise in my throat. Ron nudged him hard. Harry whipped his head around and saw me standing.
"Ella- I- you- you look beautiful" he held out his hand. I took it, not wanting to cause a scene, and together we walked towards the other champions.
"I got told that the four champions need to dance first, so that's rubbish but it'll be fine" he said, his eyes glued to the back of chos head.
"Oh okay." I whispered, trying to hold back my tears.

The music crescendoed and the doors of the great hall flew open revealing the entire student body and the beuxbaton girls and the durmstrang boys. Harry began to lead me towards the dance floor. A waltz began to play and Harry immediately started to move. For the first time this whole evening he looked me in the eyes. And for a moment there was no cho, no draco, no other distractions. For a moment it was jsut me and Harry, like it was during summer. But then the music stopped, dragging us back to reality. He took his hands off my waist and we began to walk towards Ron and padma. All four of us sat down at a table, watching everyone dance and have fun. Ron made several comments about hermione and Krum.
Eventually I turned to Harry "can we talk?"
"Sure" he said.
We walked outside the hall for some more privacy.
"I see how you've been looking at cho and someone told me you asked her to the ball. Harry is this true?"
"Yes." He said quietly.
"Why wouldn't you jsut end this then? Why would you keep leading me on?" My voice broke as I spoke.
"I- well I'm not sure. Ella I'm so sorry." He looked around anxiously.
"Forget it Harry. It's whatever. Just leave me alone." My eyes were about to overflow with tears. He took a breath in as if he was about to talk then thought better of it and walked back towards the hall.
I sat down on the stairs and let the tears flow out. The music was muffled from the hall. The doors were shut and it allowed me some level of privacy.

I'm not quite sure how long I sat on the stairs crying but someone else had walked out of the hall and was standing staring at me. I could see their polished, fancy shoes and the bottom of their dress robes from behind my hands.
"Ella" draco whispered softly.
"Draco? Why aren't you in there?"
"Why aren't you?" He asked back as he sat beside me.
"I think my date ditched me." I felt a lump rise in my throat.
"Well that is shit." he moved closer to me "but it's his loss. It may not count for much but in my opinion you're the most beautiful girl in that room."
I smiled slightly as I thanked him.
"Ella, you still owe me a dance."Draco stood up and offered me his hand.
"Oh draco I'm sorry, I just don't feel like going back in there yet."
"We can stay here then." He grabbed my hand.
"Here?! As in the hall?!" I laughed "there's barely any music."
"There's enough, now stand up and dance with me. You deserve to have a good night."
I stood up and he pulled me in towards his body, his hand gripping my waist. The music drifted out from the hall as we moved together.
"This is one of my favourite songs." He said softly.
"What song is it?"
"It's called swan lake suite. Mother used to play it on the piano when I was young. It was one of the first songs I learnt to play."
"You play piano?" My shock clearly conveyed in my face.
"Whats with the tone of surprise, weasley?" He laughed.
"It's just that I never pictured you as a piano player."
"I could play for you one day? If you would like?" His eyes met mine as he asked.
"Of course draco I would love that!"
"Really?!" Now it was his turn to look shocked.
"What's with the tone of surprise malfoy?" I mocked him. He cleared his throat then smiled.
"Just shut up and dance with me ella." He grinned. I wasn't used to this side of draco, he was goofy and funny. No big ego or gang of idiots, just his pure self.

We danced for a while, laughing and talking until he suggested that we go for a walk. I took his arm and he led me outside towards the lake. The water was silver in the moon light and the reflection danced across our faces as we walked along the waters edge.
Suddenly, the skies began to cry, soaking me and Draco.
"Come on!" He shouted as we ran back towards the castle. Laughs erupted from my mouth as we stood catching our breath in the entrance hall.
"We better get back soon ella" he laughed.
I agreed while giggling. In fact, I couldn't stop giggling until I got to the common room. When I walked in, however, the place was certainly not laughing. Hermione, Ron and Harry sat glaring at each other. Upon my arrival, Ron and Hermione sat up and began to fuss over me. After I had insisted that I was fine I began to work out what had happened to them in my absence.
After a while of arguing and snide comments from all of them, I figured out that Ron was annoyed at hermione because she went with Krum, Hermione is annoyed at Ron because she thinks he is a hypocrite. While they are both annoyed at Harry for his attitude towards me.
Eventually, after an hour or so of trying to make the peace, I gave up and went to bed. Enough excitement for one day.

————

TW: mention of eating disorders

When I awoke the next morning I couldn't help but smile at the memory of my night with draco. He managed to make one of the worst nights of my life into one of the best. I was too happy to even care about Harry, I knew I was still mad at him but he was my friend long before we had a "thing" so I think one day we shall be friends again but for now, I will definitely be giving him the cold shoulder.

Breakfast that morning was entirely grim. Silence filled the air, only adding to the already tense atmosphere.
"hermione" ron said quietly.
"what is it ronald?" she snapped.
"oh ehm could you pass me the milk please?"
she glared at him before placing the jug infront of him. After a few more moments of intense silence, i excused myself from the table.
"but ella you haven't even ate yet?" hermione said.
"i'm not hungry"
I quickly walked away from the table and towards my first class of the day. Potions. With draco. I couldn't help but wonder what today would be like, after our kiss, he ignored me for weeks, would he be the same after our night last night? or would he be different?
i arrived ten minutes early and took my seat at the back of the class. A minute went by, then a certain blonde boy entered the class, holding something behind his back.
"Good morning ella" he spoke softly. "sleep well?"
"good, you?"
"good"
"you didn't eat at breakfast this morning" he said as he sat beside me.
"i wasn't hungry"
"you have to eat ella" he spoke soft as he placed a croissant on the desk in front of me.
"i don't feel like it draco" i whispered. To say the truth, i had always struggled with eating, and all this stress about Harry had caused those problems to get worse.
"we will do it together then" he said before pulling the pastry into two pieces.
"one bite at a time okay?" he looked at me.
"okay." i said taking a small bite at the same time as him. He smiled softly before taking a second bite, waiting for me to bite as well. Soon enough, i had finished half of a croissant.
"see, you're stronger than you realise Ella. I'm proud of you." he whispered. I felt my heart flutter as he spoke. I had never had someone care this much about my well-being before.

Our moment was cut short as our classmates began to arrive. Snape walked into the class and began writing on the board. "Amortentia"
"today we will be learning about one of the most powerful love potions, can anyone tell me what amortentia smells like?" he asked in a snide voice. Straight away Hermione hand shot into the air.
"ms granger" snape snared.
"the potion smells like whatever that individual is attracted to the most, therefore it varies person to person" she replied.
"correct" snape said. "gather your ingredients, recipe can be found on page 394 of your textbook, i expect it to be finished by the end of the lesson"
"i'll gather the ingredients" draco said leaving me on my own at the back of the class.

After 40 minutes of brewing our potion was finished.
"Well then Miss Weasley smell the potion and tell the class what you smell" snape snarled.
I leaned forward and took a deep inhale " um mint....apples..... expensive cologne and.... croissants" i said as my cheeks turned a deep shade of red. That did not sound that what i expected. That sounded exactly like Draco Malfoy. Draco leaned in and smelled, he blushed slightly before snape took our cauldron and placed it on his desk as i sank back into my seat.
"Ella" draco said softly." do you want to know what i smell?"
i nodded.
"rain, orange, vanilla and chocolate strawberries" he said blushing slightly.
My heart fluttered again, rain like last night, orange and vanilla is my perfume and chocolate strawberries like he fed me that night on the astronomy tower.
"be at the slytherin party tonight, 12" he said before i could answer. i nodded.