The Boy Who Lied

A Ball? No one told me about a ball...

Previously:

Youngling, she spoke back to me. I also do not mean you any harm. I will be happy to give you the fake egg in my clutch. Your papa told all of us dragons about you and that you need to be protected. Here you go, and stay safe.

I clutched the egg to myself, bowed slightly, received my score, and scurried into the tent, ready to be cuddled to death by my family, and happy that I survived with barely a scratch.

Now:

Safe in the arms of my wonderful mate and surrounded by my family and our friends, I was finally able to relax. It's been about a month since the first task, and it's been pretty hectic. The egg apparently held a clue for the next task, which was supposed to take place in February. Fleur had discovered that taking the egg into the bath with her and submerging it into water revealed a song. The song went like this:

Come seek us where the voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground.

An hour-long you'll have to look,

To recover what we took.

It was a mysterious song, yet when you think every line through, the song reveals a lot. Basically, with the help of my family, we figured out that the judges will take someone or something that is close to our heart, and that we have to go find and retrieve it. Papa then thought about the first two lines and figured out that the task will take place somewhere underwater, and the only place in Hogwarts is the Black Lake. Apparently, there are mermaids and other sea creatures (other than the giant squid) inside the lake. So, we had been doing some research to see what we could do to breathe and survive in water that is freezing cold. Viktor knew a charm that he could transform partially into any animal of his choosing, so that was his plan. Cedric and Fleur were both going to use a bubble-head charm and a heating charm, but they warned me that their course of action is not the best, as the charms may fail at any time. Thankfully, they know how to swim, so they'll be able to get to safety quickly if that happens. So, Sev, Papa, and Mama have been helping me not only learn how to swim but also not fear water. I not only happen to fear water, especially deep pools of water, due to my Neko inheritance, but I also have some bad memories from the Dursley's related to water. So Sev, Papa, and Mama have been working on introducing me to bodies of water and teaching me how to swim in the prefects' bathroom, as they literally have a swimming pool in there for bathing.

In addition, Ced, Fleur, and Vik have been teaching me different charms that I can perform wordlessly in order to get through this task as painlessly and easily as possible. We all had an idea of what would be taken from us: Ced would most likely get Cho taken away (his girlfriend); Vik said that he's been hanging out with Luna Lovegood recently, so she most likely will get taken; Fleur had brought her little sister along with her, so she was most likely to get taken. As for me, I thought it would probably be Dray, but knowing Dumbles, the other possibility for me was Ron, as Dumbles wants to keep me in control. I was ready for either choice, but I was hoping that it would be Dray, as I hate Ron with all of my being. So we warned those who were probably going to get taken away, and we assumed that there would be some sort of charm to keep them alive when down in the lake. 

We knew we were going to have one hour to complete this task, but we assumed there would be some kind of protection for those who were taken, but we knew that we would only get points if we returned with our loved one within the hour. So we started doing some practice runs every few days in the prefect's pool. We had a dummy that we could change to look like whoever we want. What we would do is transform the dummy into the loved one of one of us, and then, Sev would send it down to the bottom of the pool, add some obstacles like what is in the Black Lake and we would swim through and see if we can get back within the hour. So far, everyone but I was able to do it. Sev and I would take about the reasons behind why it kept happening, and we came to the conclusion that I'm still suffering from the abuse that was heaped upon me. So, Sev put a rule into place that basically said that every day I had to talk to both my parents and Sev about the Dursely's. If I wanted to as well, we could add the champions and the rest of our family, which I agreed to. I need all the comfort I could get during and after these sessions. It helps though, because, after a few days of this, I was able to make it out before the hour mark.

But, as December approaches, I keep getting looks from people in the other houses, and there seem to be whispers of a sort of ball going around the school. One night, while surrounded by my family and in Sev's lap, I ask the question that had been niggling in the back of my mind for the past few weeks. "Hey, what's all this talk about a ball? Why are people always looking at me expectantly?" 

"Oh. They're talking about the Yule Ball," Dray answered with a small smile.

"The Yule Ball?"

"Yeah. It's a traditional ball held on the muggle holiday Christmas. In the wizarding world, it's known as Yule. This ball is a traditional part of the tournament. I'm assuming people keep looking at you because all the other champions have their dates, and people are wondering who you'll take."

"Oh. Who do you think I should take? Also, will I have to dance? Because, if so, I'll need some lessons. I've never danced before. Also, is there any specific attire I'd need to wear? I don't know if what I already have is acceptable for a ball or not."

"I think Pansy would probably be a good choice for you. She cares about you and she also doesn't have a date yet." Pansy nods at this and I smile. Now I've got a date to the Yule Ball. "Yes, sadly you will need to dance, and you will be the first to dance as you are a champion, as there is an obligatory champion face at the very beginning of the ball. We'll help you with learning, and I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll need dress robes, but I'm sure Mama and Papa already have already bought them for you, and are going t give you some soon." Dray finishes off with a smile. I smile back, knowing that I will be helped and that I have people who are actually willing to help me. Mama and Papa hand over a package, which I unwrap to find beautiful emerald green robes, and I gave them a big hug in thanks. I also gave Pansy a hug, silently thanking her for being willing to take me to the ball. She gave me a tight hug and a quick kiss on the forehead, letting me know it wasn't a problem. The rest of the night was spent with me watching some pairs dance, and they gave me some advice. Dray let me know that tomorrow night, he'll start teaching me how to dance and lead, and that Pansy will also be there for me to practice my skills on.

A/N (4/26/2020) - Hi all! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far. I have to give some sad news today. The above photo was my previous cover for this story. Wattpad deemed it as glorifying self-injury, and I had to take it down and change it. This wonderful cover has been part of my story for about a year now, and it is with a heavy heart that I have to take it down. This wonderful cover was sent to me for free by one of my readers, NightwriterMystica. She does commissions so if you would like one, feel free to send her a message. Thank you all for your continued support!