The Legacy of Emily Potter

18.

"I CANNOT DO THAT!" I yelled, while Hermione, Ginny and me walked down the stairs to the great hall. "Why, why the hell did I agree?"

Hermione frowned. I could tell that she was still a bit mad at me for making us organize the Yule Ball, but she couldn't hide her excitement. Ginny, on the other hand, was totally freaking out.

"Oh, I don't know," Hermione said, acting intrigued. "Maybe because you have to keep your reputation of the teacher's favourite steady and couldn't possibly disappoint your favourite teacher?"

I rolled my eyes. "Look who's talking," I sighed. "But what should I do?" Ginny shrugged. "Get one. How bad can it be? And besides, it's worth it."

"You can talk easily," I snapped, but truly thought that she was right. I sighed and put an arm around both of them. "Fine," I said. "Who will it be then?"

A very enthusiastic Ginny started the list, "Alright, there are Crabbe and Goy- you know what, cut that." Hermione snorted with laughter and I groaned. "NO. Not them."

"How about Blaise Zabini?" Hermione proposed. "He atleast doesn't look like that bad and has brains", Ginny interjected. "True, but no. He's a conceited pureblood brat. And besides, he would never touch a 'filthy blood traitor'," I copied his annoying voice.

"So, what do you think about Theodore No–," Ginny started, but I interrupted her. "More like Theodore, no!" They both sighed in unison. If they'd learned something about me in all these weeks, then that I could be stubborn as hell.

Suddenly something struck Hermione. "But Em," she said, "the only one who's left then is–"

"Me," a new voice cut in. A way too familiar voice.

The squirrel himself - or should I say ferret - blocked our way with his whole clique of junior Death Eaters. I rolled my eyes trying to hide the blush I'd gotten from thinking that he might have heard our whole conversation. "Eavesdropping is kindergarten level," I said instead.

He grinned. "It can get useful sometimes. For example to overhear you dreaming about going to the ball with me." Shocked I placed a hand on my heart. "Do you truly think so low of me? That I would voluntarily dance with one of you?", I asked. "Well why, don't you believe that I can dance?" he inquired sincerely intrigued.

I frowned. Where the hell was this leading? "Sorry," I replied, "but judging by my experience ferrets aren't the best dancers." I hesitated a moment before adding, "not that you could actually keep up with me."

I knew that I had said the wrong thing when his grin got even wider. "Try me," he said. "Yes, I'd rather not," I retorted. He widened his eyes in fake surprise. "I can't believe it!" he exclaimed so loudly that I was sure half of the school could hear it. "The fierce Gryffindor queen – scared of a little bet?" "You wish!"

Only when I saw his triumphant smirk, I realized what I had said. I had responded without thinking and I was too proud to backpedal. "So, it's a deal, then?" he asked. Instead of answering I just put out my hand and froze when he grabbed my hand, brought it up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it, so soft that it gave me goosebumps.

"I can't wait," he whispered in a low voice. Then he, once again, strut down the hall as if he owned it. At the end of the corridor he turned back to me and called, "So, it's a date right?" Every single person stopped dead in their tracks and stared from me to Malfoy and back again. "Shove off!" I yelled and immediately blamed myself for that horrible comeback but I was simply too startled.

I waited until I was sure that the last mates had disappeared behind the corner. Then I turned to my astonished friends and sighed deeply.

"What the hell have I done?"