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***
My eyes kept falling towards Fleur at the other end of the hall with Roger Davies, her arm linked with his as a smile remained plastered onto her face as if the air was pressuring it into the perfect place. She was beautiful as always when at a formal event. Her flowy grey dress that went to the floor glided just above her sharp heels so nothing would tear. And her hair was in a tight knot in the back, showcasing her symmetrical face.
In self-consciousness, I flattened my dress over my stomach several times. A lump formed in my throat as more and more people started gathering in the Great Hall. I could see George starting to look anxious. He was tapping his finger against his dress pants and would occasionally bite the inside of his cheek or lick his lips. I could also see Timothée and his cronies with their dates glued to their sides, all laughing about something.
Why was I making George wait? I had nothing to be afraid of. I was a quarter-veela after all, so it wasn't as if my beauty was the problem.
Fleur was just too beautiful.
I stopped my thoughts. That was it? I was scared of my comparison to my older sister? If anything, I'd say I was jealous. But my fear clouded up my judgment. It also covered the rest of my thoughts.
So, without a warning to my brain or a deep breath to relieve the stress, I stepped out from the door I was hiding behind. A few eyes looked my way but I rushed over to George and his friends before I caught too much attention.
"She's right there," Lee pointed at me and I grinned sheepishly up at George.
"Sorry I am late I had to --"
"It's alright. I'm just glad you're here," George cut me off and my shy smile turned into a genuine one.
"I am too," I said as we walked into the Christmas-themed hall with our friends. George and I led them to where Gabrielle stood next to Ginny Weasley and her date, a boy with rugged blonde hair tucked below his ears and a round face with simple dress robes. I'd seen him at the Gryffindor table a few times.
We lined in an orderly fashion to welcome the four champions with their plus-ones. When the doors burst open a round of applause followed with it. The first pair was Fleur and Roger, they fit well together. I glanced down at my outfit which could only half compare to Fleur's and felt the same swarm of jealousy and fear erupt from me.
Following them was Viktor Krum and . . . . Hermione? She looked so proud to be there, in that place, with Viktor Krum. I bet any girl would be just as giddy — if not more — to be in her position; after that was Cedric Diggory and his date. And lastly was the socially awkward, uncomfortable, I-don't-want-to-be-here boy that was Harry Potter with a fellow Gryffindor clinging to his arm.
The four pairs spread across the dance floor which was soon surrounded by their peers. A baton was clicked, and they all raised their arms to prepare to dance. The music began, and I saw that Harry stumbled over his feet a few times out of the corner of my eye. I kept in a giggle.
The professors began to join not long after, but no two students were brave enough to be the first person to dance. Until Ginny was whisked away from Gabrielle's side and onto the dance floor by her date. The young students began dancing to the waltz, and the negative emotions I had before were blown away in seconds. I took ahold of George's hand and dragged him out but not before he yanked on Fred's hand and brought him and Angelina with us. On our second step away from Fred and Angelina, George pulled me to his chest and spun us on his left dress shoe. He put our two hands together on one side while his other remained on my waist and mime rested on his shoulder. Our dancing soon matched the rest of the people on the dance floor, and it became a dream-like rhythm.
In under ten minutes, most of the couples were sliding across the dance floor. Blood red Durmstrang capes hit the girl's perfectly done hair, and you could hear almost every couple chuckling to themselves at the joy they were having. George and I being some of them.
***
Intense rock music echoed off the hall that drowned out the screams and laughs coming from every student. My ears hurt incredibly bad from all the noise, but I was having too much fun to care. George spun me for what felt like the hundredth time tonight. I was already getting light-headed, but I couldn't tell if it was from the dizziness or claustrophobia. My feet were in immense pain from jumping in heels the entire night, but it felt so worth it.
Lee and his date had already gone to sit down, and I saw Fred and Angelina heading towards our table as well. George and I continued dancing anyway. We wouldn't care if we were the last people on the dance floor.
And by close to the end of the night, we were one of a dozen pairs left.
"I forgot to tell you something when I saw you tonight," George muttered, not moving an inch from our slow swaying to the music.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look," his voice grew quieter, and I didn't dare look up at him because I knew my face was burning crimson. Instead, I buried my face in his orange vest over his white button-up. He had shed his black robes soon after our first dance. "Also, I like your hair down," he put a strand of my wavy blonde hair in between two of his fingers and ran them through it.
"It is odd for me," I replied.
"It's different. But it's even beautifuler."
"That is not a word."
He only laughed and lifted me just a touch off the ground before setting me back on his feet. Both arms found my waist again, and mine went around his neck; we started our slow floating again.
"A simple 'thank you' would be appreciated," he teased.
"Thank you, George. You look quite handsome yourself."
