The World and Her Stars: One Shots

Beautiful Tension

(PRE-WAR; 4th year Yule Ball; Draco and Rose can't help but admire each other, but they would never admit to it)

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ROSE POV

"I can't believe Granger really thought that Krum was going to ask her to the ball." Pansy snickered, "I mean...how embarrassing." 

Almost as embarrassing as you basically begging Draco to ask you.

I didn't say that out loud, as I wasn't that bitchy...openly.

"You're going to the ball with a Tri. Wizard. Champion. Rose...that is so fucking exciting!" Millicent clapped in glee. 

"Quite exciting." I smirked in the mirror, swiping lip gloss onto my lips in the mirror. 

Victor Krum. 

Nice looking man. Fit. Famous. Wanted. Loved. 

I don't think I would be up to doing anything sexual with a man with the same name as my father, though. That would be really fucking weird. 

So tonight, I was just his arm candy for the sole purpose of smiling and waiving at the scowls I knew would be sent my way by every girl that wished she was me. 

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"The guys said they'll meet us outside the doors." Millicent informed, trying to keep from stepping on her dress, "Rose, don't you and Victor have to walk in together with the other three and their dates?" 

I nodded with a smile. 

My dress was a light blue color that looked wonderful against my skin tone. It was tighter fitting bodice with thin straps, and tule that draped down to make the skirt. The fabric shimmered and shined with each move I made, and I felt absolutely gorgeous in it. 

Pansy wore a dark green number that looked as if her mother had worn it to her yule ball. I admired the sentiment, but come on Parkinson. 

The closer we got, the more buzz and chatter we heard, until we got to the top of our final stair case. I looked over the small crowd, trying to find the Bulgarian hunk who's arm I would be on tonight. 

That reminded me, I need to ask him if he knows Leo. 

As I scanned over everyone at the bottom of the stair case, I was immediately met with a pair of eyes staring back at me, and, for some reason, I felt my heart leap a bit in my chest at the sight. 

Draco Malfoy. 

He was adorned in a suit that matched the green color of Pansy's. Unlike every other boy at the dance, Draco opted for a shorter jacket, which actually looked quite nice on him. Green really was his color. His suit was fitted perfectly, which is expected of a Malfoy, and his shoes looked as if they had been freshly shined. In his pocket, along with a white handkerchief, was a single red rose, that popped against the green surrounding it.  

Dare I say...he was quite handsome. 

I only snapped out of my gaze once the girls started their way down the stairs, and Pansy nearly busted her ass in front of everyone. 

I couldn't help but feel his lingering stare though, even as I looked away. 

Why was he staring at me? Was there something on my face? Was my hair messed up? What did I do to piss him off this time? 

His gaze was cut off when I got down to the bottom of the stairs, and Victor swooped in front of me, offering his arm. I put on a smile, blowing off that shared gaze as an accident, before complimenting my date on his rather dashing suit. 

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DRACO POV

Bloody fucking hell. 

I had seen her in plenty of dresses before. 

Balls, galas, fancy dinners, events, gatherings. 

I had seen her in a multitude of muted, refined gowns that she always looked beautiful in, although I could never tell her that. But something about the dress she was wearing tonight...fuck. 

She looked like a star. Sparkling in the light. Admirable. So far away from me but still more breathtaking that anything I was seeing up close. 

She had to know how stunning she looked. She wore a confidence in her eyes that was unmistakable. She knew she was gorgeous. She knew she was turning the head of every bloke in this room, even that of her date, Victor fucking Krum. 

She had every eye on her as soon as she appeared at the top of the staircase...but the only person whose gaze she was meeting was mine, and for some reason, my heart leapt in my chest. 

If only she could hear what I was thinking. If only she could. 

She knew she was gorgeous. She knew she was stunning. Beautiful. Breath-taking. 

I knew for a fact that she knew that...

So why did I still have the insatiable need to tell her those things over and over?