dear draco,

three

F L A S H B A C K

~

At the Yule Ball, it had taken thirty long minutes to get Ron to dance with me.

I had been looking forward to the ball ever since we had found out about it. I had spent most of my savings on a preciously beautiful dress - a shimmery, black, low-back fashion - and hours perfecting my hair and makeup. It was the first time I truly felt beautiful. But Harry and Ron were ruining this elation.

Harry had been a lost case from the start, his eyes only flickering momentarily to me when I said his name. Ron however, had been so absorbed in glaring at Hermione and Viktor Krum that I strongly suspected the reason he finally agreed to dance was so that he could be angry at them from a closer distance.

"I can't believe she went with him," said Ron now. We moved awkwardly, barely touching. Three violinists stood by the stage, creating soft and gentle musical art, with so much potential for romance. People around us swayed softly, their heads on each others shoulders. Ron didn't seem to realise. "She's Hermione," he continued spitefully. "She's meant to be smart, and he's, like, the enemy."

"You should have asked her first," I replied. "When I said no, maybe. Or before that."

Ron looked at me as if I was crazy. "That's not what this is about. It's about Krum-," he broke off with a bitter shake of his head. "Unbelievable."

Ron and I danced for a little while, moving as in time to the music as we could manage between the two of us, and dispassionately enough to take in the scene around us. Like Harry, some people sprawled across benches and seats around the edges of the room, staring tiredly at those on the dancefloor.

Most, however, seemed to be enjoying themselves. People were laughing and chattering; each in a world of their own. The Great Hall was barely recognisable under its shimmery ornamentations: every wall adorned with glittering, silk fabric, and mistletoe and ivy. The end result was stunning. The hall was decorated with a strictly silver, wintery theme, but the guests turned it into a living sea of colour. Robes whipped and skirts twirled, and the room was alive with music and magic. It wasn't a bad night, I supposed; not much more than I expected -

Until I noticed Draco Malfoy.

He was dressed head to toe in fitted, high collared robes; the black of them contrasting wildly with the paleness of his features. His hair was down, floppy, but out of his face, unlike it usually was these days.

"Ouch," said Ron. "You stepped on my toe."

"Sorry," I muttered.

I desperately tried to pull my thoughts away from Draco, but my eyes refused to leave him. He moved with grace, much more fluidly than Ron was. He was elegant and poised-

-and just then, his eyes met mine. He stopped, momentarily, before recommencing to dance, but his rhythm had disappeared now. He pulled his gaze away from mine, but his eyes bounced repeatedly back to me, as if it hurt to look away.

But then he narrowed his eyes, and the moment was gone.

When we drew closer, he spoke.

"Nice robes, Weasley. I almost forgot you'd be here in hand-me-downs. Who are those from, your grandmother?"

Ron cursed at him, but for once, he wasn't very angry at all. His eyes were still on Hermione and Krum.

Draco had been with Pansy Parkinson earlier, but was currently dancing with a pretty Beauxbatons girl. They moved fluidly around us, encompassing us. "Young and Weasley. Interesting. I didn't see it coming, but I must admit you do make a lovely couple." They kept moving, and I chewed on my cheek so as not to retaliate. "A lovely little couple of blood-traitors."

I felt at my sides for my wand, but I had left it in the dorms. Draco noticed and smirked. The Beauxbatons girl smiled politely. She probably couldn't even speak English, and had no idea what was going on.

"Though I shouldn't be surprised," Draco continued. I groaned loudly, pulling Ron away from them, but they followed. I glared at the French girl, who widened her eyes, startled. "You've both been pushed aside, Potter and Granger in the limelight, of course you'd end up tog-"

He stopped suddenly as I lurched towards him. Ron, who had pulled me back, looked at me confusedly. "What'd he do?"

"You wait, Malfoy," I said. "One day, you won't be so lucky – it'll all get back to you one day."

But Draco was laughing in my face. His eyes crinkled up and he threw back his head. I stalked away, feeling very much like I wanted to punch him in the stomach.

I watched him for the entire night, slouching glumly on a bench next to Harry and Ron. Every now and then his eyes fell on me, but he simply narrowed them and chose another pretty girl to dance with – and another, and another, and another.

I hated him.

But the thing was, Draco Malfoy was taking up my thoughts far more than he should have been.

I couldn't ever admit it to anyone - I could hardly admit it to myself.