yule ball

soleil

"And he can't know it was a dare!" Pansy added quickly, before leaning back in the chair with a self-satisfying smile.

Draco just sat there for a moment. "You must be out of your mind."

Pansy shrugged, growing more smug by the minute.

"Asking Potter? My arch nemesis? To a dance?"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Draco. Sure, you'll embarrass yourself to no end, but it'll be fun. Watching you, at least. I wouldn't want to be you."

"I'm not doing it!" Draco threw his hands up in the air. "There's no way."

"It's out of your control now." Pansy responded calmly. "If you go back on your word now, well... let's just say nothing good will come out of it." She stood up and waved as she disappeared into the girls dormitory, her voice faint as she called back, "Good luck!"

---

Draco woke up grumpy. He stumbled out of bed, flipping Goyle the bird when the great lump tried to talk to him, and somehow even managed to put on his robes with an air of annoyance.

He couldn't believe that Pansy had tricked him. The Malfoy's were never fooled. He shivered as he opened the common room door, starting to walk to the dining hall. He couldn't help but feel like he had disgraced the entire Slytherin house. Weren't Slytherins supposed to be cunning?

Being tricked into asking out his enemy was the least Slytherin thing that could happen. In fact, it sounded like something a Gryffindor would do. He shuddered.

And he had to make Harry agree, too! How was he supposed to do that? Dracos fists were clenched by the time he reached the Great Hall.

He sat down at his table.

"Why are you in such a bad mood today, Draco?" Blaise asked.

Draco didn't listen, just scanned the crowd for Potter. He found him immediately, laughing and talking with his friends.

Draco had to admit, he didn't look as bad when he was laughing. Draco never got to see Harry laughing, because they were always glaring at each other.

Harry looked over and locked eyes with Draco. Instead of looking away or sneering, Draco gave a curt nod, forced his mouth to not-frown, and turned to Blaise. "Oh, no reason."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Harry's expression change from annoyance to confusion. He ignored him, and dismissed his urge to sneak another glance at the boy with the lightning scar.